Protecting Our Families Well

Protector. As the heads of our respective families men are called to be protectors of their own flock. This is where the term family shepherds comes from. The idea that we are training our families in God’s perfect word.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

When we are training up our families, or discipling them, we are training them in the way they should go. We are to teach them God’s Holy Word in order to protect them from the ravenous wolves. If we are diligent and intentional in our discipling they will be better equipped to handle the false ideologies out there they are likely to come into contact with.

In our role as protector we are giving each member of our family the necessary knowledge of God and his word they need to be better able to go out into a world of darkness and not be overcome by it.

We are protecting them by equipping them. They need to be told. Spurred on by us and hopefully strengthening their own faith and resolve in the process.

The Latin phrase semper reformanda translates to “always reforming”. It is a slogan used in the Reformed tradition and is often combined with the phrase ecclesia reformata to mean “the church reformed, always reforming”. The phrase is a principle that encourages the church to continuously reform itself in accordance with scripture, rather than evolving to keep up with the times. It is a call to action to change in ways that make the church’s testimony more faithful to God’s revelation.

We can certainly apply that principle of always reforming to our family shepherding.

In light of things you’ve read take inventory. Look at some of the things mentioned some of the commands laid out and see where you stack up. Are you doing these things? Are you working towards these ideas.

What things do you need to repent of.

If you need help, ask. I’ll end with these verses from a Psalm.

Psalm 127:3-5 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.