My kids come first?

This stems from a discussion I recently had on Facebook. It isn’t in my traditional category of personal finance, but it is about stewardship of a different kind. Something very important that we steward is our children. Our kids are in our complete care for temporarily before they come into adult hood. For some time and in some ways their relationship with the Lord is mediated through their parents until they are old enough to build one on their own. However before the throne of God we will all be equals, there will not be the hierarchy of family like we have here on earth.

Therefore, we are stewards of our children in as much as they are a gift from God given to us to raise for a short period of time. This is something very important to remember when considering how we raise our children.

I pointed out on Facebook that there is something more important than our relationship with our children, and that is the relationship we have with our spouses. Someone posted the picture above and I pointed out that my wife comes before my kids. A lot of people think that kids come first and should but I have to disagree. I have caught a little flack for this stance but based on my biblical understanding I can’t see it any other way.

Genesis 2:24 says “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Children will leave their family and join in a special union with their spouses. They become one in a way that I am not one with my children. Many marriages start to focus so hard on their children when they come along that they allow their marriages to fall apart. It is why you see many divorces after the kids leave the house, the marriage has taken a back seat to the children and is an anemic version of itself.

Your relationship with your children is immensely important, but understand your marriage is more important, it is the foundation of the family to which your children belong. It is structure where they will learn about the Lord, and about love and covenant, before they ever read scripture for themselves.

1 Comment so far

Upwards of TwentyPosted on1:53 pm - Sep 24, 2014

I find myself falling into this thought process quite often. Your post reminded me of my wedding and many i have been too. I have to agree with the fact that my wife and i are a unified front that can take on any issues. It is hard to not find ourselves focusing every extra minute on our children. Great post. JB

My kids come first?