Genesis 1:28 (NKJV) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
In an age where many young people are struggling with gender confusion and their identity, parents have the added responsibility to help their children to navigate the influences from media, social media, their peers, even the school system which may advocate values contrary to the Bible, and their feelings, throughout their lives because these negative influences don’t just stop in the formative years but can develop over the later stages of their lives as well.
God instituted marriage between a man and a woman, and it is sacred. God’s plan is for them to procreate, which can only happen with a male and a female. They are to establish the marriage covenant as a couple, and play the roles of husband and wife, father and mother on the earth.
The family unit is the most basic nucleus in society and it must be protected at all costs. If it is broken or changed, the entire society will suffer. In fact, the disintegration of the family unit is one of the reasons for all the gender confusion and LGBTQ issues that we see today.
If say a gay couple were to adopt a girl, this girl will lack a mother of the same gender. She won’t have a role model nor can either of her parents relate to her physical growth. The same is true for a boy brought up by two lesbian parents. These children are in confusion because they have been put into their situations with no ability to decipher right from wrong.
The Christian marriage must be strong, or constantly working out the minor differences to build a home founded on unconditional love, so the children can grow up in a safe and emotionally stable environment. The perfect love shown between a couple and to their children will help the children to feel accepted, loved, and emotionally secure. Moreover, the respective roles of the father and mother should be clearly demonstrated for the children. The father is to journey with and model for his sons what it means to be a man, a father, and a husband, and likewise for a mother with regards to her daughters. Parents should put their children above their careers so that their children are not denied the guidance that only parents can give.
Action speaks louder than words. The ability to reconcile, forgive, and reciprocate love between the parents will model for the children what a family should be like. This includes modelling of the spiritual leadership by the father and the mutual submission between husband and wife. Both parents are to journey with their children and bring them up in the ways of the Lord especially when faced with conflicting values from the world. It gives room for discussion, correction, rebuking, and training in righteousness because they understand that it is done out of the foundation of unconditional love.
Sermon Series: Natural or Unnatural? (PART 1 Gender Confusion)
神所描绘的婚姻蓝图
创世纪 1:28 神就赐福给他们,又对他们说:“要生养众多,遍满地面,治理这地,也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟,和地上各样行动的活物”
在一个许多年轻人都挣扎于性别困惑和身份认同的世代,家长多了一重责任帮助孩子们驾驭媒体、社交媒体、同龄人甚至学校系统的影响,这些系统可能倡导与圣经相反、与他们的情感相反的价值观,并且他们的终生都会受到影响,因为这些负面的影响不会在他们的性格形成后就停止,而是会在他们生命接下来的各个阶段持续发酵。
神在男人和女人之间创立了婚姻,是神圣的。神的计划是要他们生育,而这只能发生在男女之间。他们是要作为伴侣建立婚姻盟约,在地上承担丈夫和妻子,父亲和母亲的角色。
家庭是社会最基本的核心单元,需要不惜代价的保护。如果家庭破碎或改变,将祸及整个社会。事实上家庭单位的解体是我们今天看到的所有性别混乱和LGBTQ问题的原因之一。
比方说一对男同性伴侣收养了一个女孩,这个女孩就缺少了与她同性别的母亲。她没有同性榜样,她身体生长发育时没有家长可以询问。同样,对于一个由两个女同性恋父母抚养长大的男孩来说也是如此。他们感到困惑,因为他们所置身的处境使他们没有能力辨别是非。
基督徒的婚姻必须稳固,能不断解决细微的差异,才能建立一个以无条件的爱为基础的家庭,孩子们才得以在一个安全并且情绪稳定的环境中成长。夫妇俩对彼此和孩子展现出的完全的爱将帮助孩子感到被接纳、被爱并且情绪笃定。父亲和母亲各自的角色在孩子面前得到清晰的演示。父亲要与儿子同行并且示范如何成为一个男人、丈夫和父亲。同样母亲要和女儿同行并且示范如何做女人、妻子和母亲。家长要把孩子放在自己的事业之上,这样孩子就不会缺失那些只有家长才能给予的指导。
行动胜于言语。父母间和解、原谅和以爱相酬的能力将向孩子示范一个家庭应有的样子。这包括父亲所展现的属灵领导力,以及丈夫和妻子之间的相互顺服。父母双方都要和孩子一起同行,按照主的方式抚养他们,尤其是当面对抵触的世俗价值观的时候。它为讨论、纠正、责备和公义训练提供了空间,因为他们明白这是出于无条件的爱。
讲章系列:自然或非自然 (第一部分 性别困惑)
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