Job: Don’t forget family
God’s People on Mission
Job: Don’t forget family
Just the other day, for some unknown reason, I remembered a conversation that I had years ago, which caught me by surprise. It was from the father of a friend of mine (not a girlfriend though she was in our friendship group). He was deeply concerned for his daughter and out of that concern was reaching out to me to see if I could have some influence on a situation she was in within our friendship group. He was literally asking me to step in and change some people’s minds out of concern for his daughter. I’m not sure that I was of any help at the time.
It seemed very strange to me at the time, but I wasn’t a parent then so now I understand him better. I think his concern is reflected in the life and character of Job, a man whom the Bible goes into wonderful detail to describe. That’s particularly wonderful for us, because it is generally believed that Job lived around 4000 years ago, way back around the time of Abraham. And part of the introduction to the description of Job had me thinking of my friend’s father:
And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly. (Job 1:4 – 5)
Any conversation around faith and family makes for a sensitive subject. We all have loved ones, people who are very dear to us who are not walking with the Lord, and it is cause for great concern, and hopefully leads to tearful times of prayer before our Heavenly Father who, we should be assured, shares our concern and desire for them to come in faith to Him.
But leaving the personal element aside, the responsibility we have for the upbringing of our children has a bearing on qualifications for ministry according to Paul’s letter to Timothy. Speaking of Elders, Paul says that he must be:
one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); (1 Timothy 3:4 – 5)
I recall a mentor of mine more than once telling me that her father refused the invitation to become an Elder in their church because he had three mature-aged daughters, but one of them had walked away from the Lord, so he believed he did not qualify for the position.
I’m not going to comment on whether that is a correct application of that Scripture, but I do admire his stance on the Word of God, and his conviction.
Job’s concern for his family is an appropriate reminder to all of us who have family, not to allow ministry to become our sole focus. There is a great cost in ministry, God knows that, but we must be careful and prayerful that we don’t allow our family to be neglected.
Having two mature-aged daughters of my own, one recently married, I’m so grateful to God that He has kept us close, and that they both put Him first in their own lives. God deserves all the glory for that, with some acknowledgement going to my wife for her faithfulness to family and regular reminder to me when I was crossing the line.
God doesn’t ask us to sacrifice our families for the sake of ministry, Job and Paul remind us of that. Certainly sacrifices of time, energy, and some freedoms are necessary when our hearts belong to The Lord, but they must be carefully measured to ensure we are following God’s will and seeking His glory, not our own.
