Children have deep needs too. That’s why God gave them a family and parents. However, in our society we have social service agencies, children’s services, and educational institutions that are assuming parental responsibility. In doing so they are attempting to meet needs that God has entrusted to parents.

Our Problem
What’s our problem? It’s the failure to really understand the needs of our family members. Often we mistake needs for flaws. We observe something in the life of our spouse or children that concerns us, and we consider it to be a fault that causes irritation, when it is really a need crying out to be met. We see it as a problem to solve, instead of an opportunity to minister. One of the greatest joys of family life is to understand each others needs and be committed to ministering to them.

Although needs vary from family to family, let’s focus on three things every family needs. To do so we will look at three families in God’s Word – the families of the Philippian jailer, Abraham and Joshua.

1. The Need To Be Saved
In Acts 16:16-34 we read of the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his family. Paul and Silas had preached the gospel, souls were saved, and lives transformed. One such life was that of a young woman with demonic powers. When Christ delivered her from the powers of darkness it angered some men who had used her for financial gain. They reported Paul and Silas to the religious leaders who had them arrested, beaten, and jailed.

During the night, God rocked the prison with an earthquake that set all of the prisoners free. The jailer, assuming that the prisoners had escaped, was about to take his own life. When Paul assured him they were all still there, he came to them and asked the most important question any person can ask, “What must I do to be saved?” Their answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Not only was the jailer saved that night, but so was his entire family (Acts 16:31-34).

This wonderful story illustrates the first and greatest need of every family member – the need to be saved. There is no greater need in any person’s life than to know Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Every husband and father needs to be saved because every wife needs a husband who knows Christ, and every child needs a godly daddy. Every wife and mother needs to be saved because every husband needs a faithful Christian wife by his side, and every child needs a mother who knows and loves the Lord. Every child, teenager, and young adult needs to be saved because salvation is the greatest need of the human heart.

How is it in your home? Dad, are you saved? How about you, Mom? Do you know you are saved through a personal faith relationship in Jesus Christ? Are you praying for and seeking the salvation of each member of your family? Remember, the only thing you can take to heaven with you are your family members – but only if they are saved.

2. The Need To Be Surrendered
The story of Abraham and his family is found in Genesis 22:1-14. God had tested Abraham’s faith on many occasions, but this was to be his greatest test. God told Abraham to offer his precious son, Isaac, as a burnt offering to Him. What was Abraham’s response? He willingly did exactly what God told him to do. He took Isaac to the mountain, built an altar, bound Isaac, placed him on the wood and prepared to take his life.

At the last moment God sent an angel to stop Abraham. God was satisfied; He knew that Abraham feared Him more than he loved his son. In place of Isaac, God miraculously provided a ram as the sacrifice.

What’s the lesson in this for us? Every family needs to be surrendered, that is, given back to God who gave the family to us. To whom does your family rightly belong? To you, to the government, to the educators, to the social service agencies? No! Your family belongs to God. So the very best thing you can do for your family is give it back to God. He’s the only one who knows what is best for each family member. When you selfishly hold on to them you become responsible. When you surrender them to God, He takes the responsibility. Of course you still have great responsibilities, but your surrender frees God to work through you to accomplish His purpose in your family. Have you surrendered your family to God?

3. The Need To Be Serving
Our last story comes from the Joshua 24:14-24. Joshua had led the people of Israel for 25 years. He brought them out of the wilderness into Canaan, the land God had promised them. In Chapters 23-24 Joshua reviewed God’s many blessings to them. However, they were continually torn between worshiping the living and true God and the false gods of the people in the land where they lived. In Joshua 24:15 he calls them to make a decision: “Choose you this day whom you will serve ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When they heard Joshua’s challenge and testimony, the people responded: “God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods.”

Here’s our lesson from Joshua’s family: every family needs to serve. There’s no greater joy than to know that your family lives to serve God. As parents we need to teach our children that everything we do we are to do as service for God. Dad goes to work to serve God. Mother keeps the house as her service for the Lord. Youngsters play with friends and go to school to serve God. Sure, some folks are in so-called “full-time” service. But the truth is that we are all to be serving God all the time. Mom and Dad, raise your family to see everything they do as service for God.

Every family needs to be saved, surrendered and serving. May you, by God’s grace, see these goals accomplished in your family.

By Jack & June Palmer