THEME: BUILDING THE CULTURE OF HONOR IN THE FAMILY
GOAL:
To stimulate families towards:
A) Understanding the merits and advantages of honour as a family tradition
B) Building the culture of honour as a family foundation.
TEXTS:
James 3:18
1 Peter 3:7
Genesis 17:9-10
MEMORY VERSE:
James 3:18
You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, and treating each other with dignity and honour.
Culture is defined as a way of life of a people. Honour refers to a culture of honesty, integrity, fairness in ones belief and actions. It also refers to high respect created due to worth, merit and rank. Both definitions clearly project what the theme of the family month seeks to achieve – introducing a way of life in our families that is filled with honesty, integrity, fairness, merit, high worth and rank. No doubt, introducing a culture of honour into any family system raises the net-worth of such families, but it certainly comes with a huge price.
The fact is that every family is rated, if not by them but by others around. We hear statements such as ‘don’t deal with members of that family or don’t marry a person from this family’. Affirmative statements like ‘I wish my family was like this family’ clearly indicate that families are ranked by observers. Undoubtedly such ranking (in a few cases) may be based on wrong premises, but in many cases, it is based on the output of such families in their environment. The question remains, ‘what input did these families make to warrant such variation of opinion’. It is our prayer that through this month, God will direct us to develop and introduce a code of behaviour in our families that will bring out colourful and beautiful families through us for our generation.
ANALYSIS OF SAMPLE FAMILIES
Read the following passages:
Proverbs 31:10-31
1 Sam 25:2-11
Genesis 19:5-8, 26, 30-38
What are your impressions on the families discussed here? Will you model your family on any of these; why?… and why not?…. as the case may be! Discuss.
STEPS TO BUILDING A FAMILY OF HONOUR
Make a decision – Read Daniel 1:8. The first step towards any successful movement is a DECISION.
Seek wisdom– Read Psalm 24:3-4. Discuss where wisdom for this might come from.
Make an action plan– What is the place of your spouse and children in doing this? Any advantages in implementing Habakkuk 2:2-3?
Identify and communicate some family ethos (Name and discuss at least ten things that should be in an honourable family’s ethos list) – Read and discuss Proverbs 22:6, Jeremiah 35:5-10.
Parents or initiators must take the first step- Read Genesis 18:19, Proverbs 31:1-9
Back it up with prayers and affirmation – Read Job 1:5
Apply innovative actions – Discuss the place of family talk shows, family dramas, chastity rings, open or show time in ingraining the culture of honour at the home level. Share experiences to help others.
DISCUSS COMMON DISHONOURS RELATED IN THESE PASSAGES AND THEIR RELEVANCE IN TODAY’S FAMILY SETTING
- Malachi 1:6
- Malachi 1:14
- Proverbs 6:30-35
- Psalm 4:2
- Malachi 2:10
- Malachi 2:13-17
DISCUSS THE HONOURABLE ACTS HERE AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO OUR CONTEMPORARY FAMILIES
- Matt 1:18-20
- Exodus 4:24-26
- Proverbs 31:10-12
BENEFITS OF HONOUR IN THE FAMILY
- Breeds long life on its own – Read Exodus 20:12
- Breeds a good name through generations – Read Proverbs 22:1 and Ecclesiastes 7:1a. What does this mean in our contemporary society?
- Facilitates actualization of God given destiny – Read Genesis 18:19
- Breeds love for the family – Discuss the implications of ‘the name’ in Song of Songs 1:3. Read many translations and discuss the importance of names in our contemporary society.
CONCLUSION
This month presents you the opportunity to think, sit with your family members and chart a course for the upward movement of the whole family. If the family members affirm that their desire should come this year, then they must delight themselves in the Lord. Most of the activities you can use to delight yourself in the Lord are as captured here in the discussion.
One thing remains….do them.
Look towards the rewards and remember that a goal set out without an action plan, is just a daydream.
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