Restoring Your Family with Biblical Principles

How is a Christian family different from a secular family?

• Am I living according to the Bible’s design for family?
• Is it even possible in today’s world?

These questions often arise as we try to navigate family life. Recently, I watched a video titled “[Christian Worldview] What is a Family?“ that deeply challenged me. It highlighted the differences between a Christian and a secular view of family and explained why many families today are struggling.

Rather than simply asking, “How do we build a happy family?”, the real question is:
👉 What is God’s design for family, and how can we restore it?

1️⃣ The Origin of the Family: God’s First Institution

The family is not a human invention. From the beginning, God created the family structure.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
(Genesis 2:24, ESV)

God designed marriage as the foundation for family, ensuring the birth and continuation of future generations.

Yet today, this divine order is being shaken.

💔 Why are families breaking down?
Because the purpose of family has been distorted.

2️⃣ Christian Family vs. Humanistic Family

How does today’s world define family?

✔ Humanistic Family – Prioritizes individual happiness
✔ Christian Family – Prioritizes God’s glory and love for others

🎯 The difference changes everything!

Secular thinking teaches:

• Marriage, children, and family exist for my happiness.
• If marriage no longer makes me happy, divorce is the solution.
• If children will burden my life, I won’t have them.
• If raising children becomes too hard, abortion becomes an option.

The Christian family, however, is not centred on personal happiness but on glorifying God.

📖 Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 1

📝 “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

This applies to family as well:
❌ We don’t marry just to be happy.
✅ We marry to glorify God together.

🙌 Does that mean happiness doesn’t matter?
Of course not!
A truly Christian family experiences deeper joy when living in obedience to God.

3️⃣ Biblical Roles in Marriage: Not Superiority, but Divine Order

“Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord… Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
(Ephesians 5:22, 25, ESV)

This is one of the most misunderstood verses today.
People assume Christianity oppresses women and elevates men, but this is false.

💡 The Bible speaks of roles, not superiority.

💙 Husband

• A sacrificial leader, just as Christ gave Himself up for the church.
• Leads his family with love and humility.

💜 Wife

• Respects and supports her husband, as the church submits to Christ.
• Her role is equally valuable but distinct.

This is about God’s divine order, not cultural hierarchy.

📜 Westminster Confession of Faith also emphasizes this:

• Parents must raise their children in faith.
• Husbands and wives are responsible for building each other up.

This is the opposite of secular views, which say,
💭 “Family should exist to make me happy.”

4️⃣ Parents Are Responsible for Their Children’s Faith

Today, parents rely on schools and churches for their children’s education.
But God commands parents to lead their children spiritually.

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…”
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV)

📌 The problem?
Many parents outsource faith education to the church or Christian schools.

I personally struggle with this while raising my daughters in Sydney, Australia.
The secular values here are much stronger than in Korea, affecting education, culture, and politics.

👉 Should I send my daughters to a Christian school?

• If tuition weren’t an issue ($40,000/year), I wouldn’t hesitate.
• But simply attending a Christian school won’t guarantee my children’s faith.
• Parents must take the lead in faith education at home.

🏡 Biblical Parenting: Teaching at Home

✔ Set aside regular family Bible study time.
✔ Live out faith in daily life—your actions speak louder than words.
✔ Teach children how to interpret the world through biblical values.

🚨 If we don’t teach our children, the world will.
As Christian parents, we are commanded to disciple our children at home.

5️⃣ Can the Christian Family Be Restored?

🏛 The family is the foundation of the church.
When Christian families collapse, the church collapses, and eventually, society collapses.

🔥 What must we do?
✔ See family as a sacred gift from God.
✔ Understand marital roles through God’s order, not cultural bias.
✔ Teach children faith at home—don’t rely solely on churches or schools.

👀 It may feel impossible in today’s world.
But if we follow God’s design, He will bless and sustain our families.

6️⃣ First, I Must Establish a Biblical Worldview

After watching the video, I realized:
👉 Before restoring my family, I must first align myself with God’s Word.

💡 Today’s world is overflowing with advice on marriage, parenting, and family.

• 📢 Psychologists say, “This is the best way to raise kids.”
• 🎥 YouTube is full of self-help parenting tips and marriage advice.
• ✝️ Even some “Christian” videos mix in humanistic values.

💭 How should I lead my family biblically?
💭 How can I avoid being swayed by worldly thinking?

📖 The answer is simple:
God designed the family, so the right way to build it is found in His Word.

🔹 Conclusion: Restoring the Christian Family

✅ A family is not just a place for individual happiness—it is a small community that reflects God’s Kingdom.
✅ The world distorts family, but we must reclaim God’s original design.
✅ Faith education is the responsibility of parents, not just the church or school.
✅ A biblical worldview is the foundation for a strong, God-honoring family.

🙌 When I stand firm in Scripture,
❤️ Love my wife according to God’s design,
🙏 Raise my children with biblical wisdom,

Only then will I build a family that pleases God.
Let’s commit to restoring our families according to God’s will! 🏡✨