The Gift of Family

By Robert A. Schuller

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." -Exodus 20:12

Many people live in a personal world of intimate strangers. But God never intended for it to be that way as we see by his second recorded conversation with the first man.

Adam’s first assignment from God was to name all the animals—a task which left him in an unenviable position as the only solitary soul on Planet Earth.

Every other creature on Earth had another face like its own to look at, another pair of eyes to meet in some measure of shared meaning.

But not Adam. So God’s second conversation with His earthly, human gardener was to tell him it wasn’t good for him to be alone. It wasn’t healthy for Adam to be alone. Without a partner he would never have learned to talk, to discuss, to debate, to plan, to compromise, or to give and receive advice, correction, and exhortation.

In short, Adam never would have blossomed or reached his full potential without another human being.

God has given you family and friends to help shape you, encourage you, strengthen you, sharpen you, and draw you out onto the path that is right for you. Family is God’s gift to humankind. Family is God's gift to YOU!
When it comes to family, to love long is to live long.

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Heavenly Father, thank you for understanding my basic human need to feel connected and for giving me family and friends to fill the gap that would otherwise be left empty without them.

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