Six Traits of Strong Families God s Wisdom from

Six Traits of Strong Families God’s Wisdom from Proverbs

Family Breakdown • We continually hear of family breakdown in the world (11: 29) – Breakdown due to inner spiritual weaknesses – Breakdown due to outward worldly pressures • God gives us the wisdom to build strong families (3: 33; 12: 7; 14: 1, 11)

Strong Families 1: Strong Faith in God • Strength comes from faith • Focus on God in the home (1: 7; 9: 10; 15: 16) – Bible reading (23: 23; 28: 9) – Prayer (15: 8, 29) – Worship (21: 3, 27)

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1: 7)

Buy the truth, and sell it not; Yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. (Proverbs 28: 9)

Jehovah is far from the wicked; But he heareth the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15: 29)

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind! (Proverbs 21: 27)

Strong Families 2: Strong Inward Character • Strength comes from application of God's word throughout age • A man of honorable character (27: 21) • A woman of honorable character (11: 16; 12: 4; 19: 13 -14; 31: 10 ff) • A youthful honorable character (10: 1; 13: 1; 15: 5, 20; 28: 7)

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is tried by his praise. (Proverbs 27: 21)

A worthy woman is the crown of her husband; But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. (Proverbs 12: 4)

A wise son maketh a glad father; But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. (Proverbs 10: 1)

Strong Families 3: Strong Love Within the Family • Strength comes from commitment to each other • Love for one another’s welfare (10: 12; 15: 17) • Avoid selfishness that destroys family life (12: 15) • Give heart-felt appreciation, affection, and praise (4: 3 -4; 23: 24 -25; 25: 11)

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. (Proverbs 15: 17)

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel. (Proverbs 12: 15)

Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice. (Proverbs 23: 25)

Strong Families 3: Strong Love Within the Family • Avoid harsh / critical words that tear down (15: 4; 17: 1; 21: 9, 19) • Cultivate good words that will build up (15: 23; 18: 20 -21) • Angry words tear down (15: 1 -2, 14, 28) • Children loving parents (19: 26; 20: 20; 23: 22 -25; 30: 11, 17)

A gentle tongue is a tree of life; But perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit. (Proverbs 15: 4)

A man hath joy in the answer of his mouth; And a word in due season, how good is it! (Proverbs 15: 23)

A soft answer turneth away wrath; But a grievous word stirreth up anger. (Proverbs 15: 1)

There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother. (Proverbs 30: 11)

Strong Families 4: Strong Discipline in the Home • Strength comes from teaching and training • Instructive discipline (3: 11 -12; 13: 1; 15: 5; 19: 18; 22: 6) • Corrective discipline (13: 24; 19: 18; 22: 15; 23: 13 -14; 29: 15, 17)

A wise son heareth his father’s instruction; But a scoffer heareth not rebuke. (Proverbs 13: 1)

The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother. (Proverbs 29: 15)

Strong Families 5: Strong Ties That Bind • Strength comes from spending enjoyable time together • Positive interaction builds bonds (4: 10 -11; 5: 15 ff; 23: 26) • Excessive time away separates and suffocates family ties (27: 8)

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many. (Proverbs 4: 10)

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place. (Proverbs 27: 8)

Strong Families 6: Strong Defenses • Strength comes by building defenses • Righteous principles help us overcome life’s difficulties (24: 10, 16) • Spiritually healthy families pull together in times of crisis (4: 1819; 17: 17)

For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity. (Proverbs 24: 16)

A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17: 17)

Strong Families 1. Strong faith 2. Strong inward character 3. Strong love 4. Strong discipline 5. Strong ties 6. Strong defenses

Strong Families • God wrote the manual on strong families (24: 3 -4) • Let us build in ourselves and our children the strength it takes to make it to heaven!