2 Ways to Bring Families Together

There was a time when men and women had distinct jobs around the house. Men did the mowing and the snow shoveling; women did the gardening and house cleaning. Men did repairs around the house, and women did most of the household chores. It was a coordinated effort to keep the house in good shape.

Men at that time were the main bread-winners, and women often stayed home. However, as time progressed, it became increasingly necessary for women to take on part time jobs, to supplement the family income, so men were expected to help more with household chores. This did not fly well with some men. They were used to having the women in their lives (such as mom) do the cooking and house cleaning. Many men were never even taught how to clean house or cook. This in turn disrupted that coordinated effort and women were not only working their part time jobs, but cleaning and taking care of the house as well. Most men don’t like to admit it when they don’t know something, (like how to cook and clean) so instead of pitching in with housework, they began to find excuses to avoid it altogether. This put a strain on otherwise content households. Unfortunately, things only got worse and the cost of living began to steadily increase. (1 Timothy 6:9-11) Women soon discovered that they needed to work full-time to make ends meet.

The result is that we have households where people come home after a busy day and work another three or four hours to clean the house. This leaves little quality time with each other or the children. Husbands and wives end up spending so much time working and doing things around the house that they no longer have the time needed to raise a proper family. The family unit suffers as a result.

The problem goes a lot deeper than having a dirty and disorganized household. Relationships suffer, and children have little opportunity to learn from their parents what a relationship is all about. Because of this, they have a harder time developing relationships themselves, and end up spending time watching TV or playing video games–things that require little interaction with their families.

Instead of a curse, household chores can become a way to bring families together. It works out pretty well when you teach your children at a young age different ways they can help with cleaning house. (Proverbs 22:6)

Set Saturday mornings aside for household chores as one way to get the work done. This allows time to spend with the family–giving you an opportunity to work together and create a pleasant environment to live in. To make this family time even more valuable, chores should always be followed by a reward of some sort, perhaps going out as a family to shop and eat, or watching a movie together once the chores are done. By pulling together in a coordinated effort on Saturday morning, organizing the household can be handled quickly, and then each family member has time in the afternoon to spend with friends and other social events. (Colossians 3:18-21)

Many of us do not necessarily feel like going to church every Sunday, but a strong relationship with God is important to get along in this world of ours. Only with God can we barrel through all the stress and problems of trying to live a sinless life in a sinful world.

One way to overcome this is to make church family time. As a unit, everyone goes to church whether they want to or not. Setting a good example, going to church even when you don’t want to, teaches children sacrifice, which is important, but not always pleasant. This takes a bit of self-discipline, and it helps if your church has plenty of opportunity for family members to get some spiritual teaching by sharing in discussion groups or Sunday School. If your church doesn’t have such things, try reading a bit of Scripture before the afternoon meal, and discussing it. ( Ephesians 6:1-4)

Once church is over for the day, everyone can have the rest of the day for themselves, spending time with friends, a good book, or simply relaxing. Then Monday morning will not seem as daunting as it often does.

How important is family time and spiritual growth to your family?