When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was Lost in Space. One reason I loved it was because I was about the age of Will Robinson, one of the main characters. I would imagine myself as this space kid with a big ship, a cool robot, and laser guns!
Looking back, one of the things I subconsciously loved most about Lost in Space wasn’t the cool space toys or intriguing story lines, but that it was about a great family—the Robinson Family. The mom and dad loved each other. The father was a strong leader and he would risk his life for his family. And even as a 12-year-old kid I remember thinking, “That’s the kind of man I want to be!”
Now, it’s one thing to see a great, solid family on a fictional TV show. But is it possible that a family like that could really exist? It is! And the blueprints for that kind of family are found in Joshua 24:14-15, where we read,
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (from the New Living Translation)
This passage teaches that the most crucial requirement for planting your family on a firm foundation is to give the Lord His rightful place in the home. Verse 14 says, “Now fear the LORD ….” This doesn’t mean God wants us to be afraid of Him. He wants us to stand in awe of Him. He wants us to say, “Wow! You are amazing, God!”
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It is the foundation … the ABCs of having a strong family. You’re never going to have a great life or a great family unless you fear the Lord and give Him His rightful place.
What does that look like in a family? I like to think about it in terms of building a structure with Christ as the cornerstone. The Bible talks about Jesus in Psalm 118:22-23 and says, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”
Luke 20:17 makes it clear this chief cornerstone is Jesus Christ. And the cornerstone was the most critical and valuable piece in the whole structure. It was a stone that was specially prepared and squared off at the corner of the building so that it would project a strong right angle, setting things right for the entire structure. That’s the picture of Jesus’ rightful role in our homes.
Do you want to have a strong family? Give Jesus His rightful place by making Him the cornerstone of your life and home. Pray together. Give thanks. Teach your children to love the Lord with everything in them as they watch you model it before them. That’s how you plant your family on a firm foundation!