I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. (Job 29:12-16)
Perhaps because of the dismal state of families in America, the Church has focused a great deal on raising godly families. All of this is good, but not the best. While American Christianity has apparently defined success as a nice “Christian” family, Authentic Christianity is sacrificially serving Jesus with your family.
The man who spoke the words above had ten children and a very large farm to take care of. And yet, he evidently found time to help a number of needy people outside of his family. How did he do that?
By making the focus of his life more than his family. By increasing his “circle of concern” to include more than just his children. By understanding that God expects more of a man than just making sure his kids know they are the center of our world.
Do we want just nice “Christian” children who are really no more than the typical spoiled, bored, and self-absorbed American? Or do we want authentic Christian kids who are sacrificially serving Jesus? If the latter, than we need to be bigger men, set our sights higher than American Christianity, and find some people to serve and reach out to with our family.