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Family is an institution
established by God to
raise a community of godly people. If the family had remained in its
first
estate, there could have been no storm. But we are now dwelling in a
storm-infested world in the midst of wicked people. These made storm
inevitable
in the life of individual person and family.
Characteristics
of
Storm
From the experience of the
disciples and Jesus
Christ as narrated in Mark 4:35-39, the following facts could be
discerned
about storm.
- It respects no man.
- It comes unexpectedly.
- It differs from one person or
family to another.
- It can
change one’s character.
- In the midst of storm,
friends or relations are helpless.
Sources
of Storm
There can be no effect
without a cause (Prov.26:2).
Storm could rise against family from different sources. These include:
- Self-induced
storm. This is caused by one’s sins or involvement in
secret cults, consultation with witch doctors, fetish priests,
occult
practitioners, false prophets etc.
- Satan-induced storm. Satan
can use a member of the family as an
instrument to raise a storm against the family. Secondly, Satan can
use
agents outside the family to cause storm in the family. These
agents could
be visible or invisible. For example, the serpent and the first
family. At
the extreme, Satan himself may raise a terrible storm against the
family.
For example, Job.
- God-induced storm. God allows
storm in His children’s lives for two
reasons: To punish their disobedience (Jonah 1:1-4) and to refine
and
purify them (John 15:2; 1 Peter 1:7).
Six
Steps
Out of Marital Storm
Are you in the midst of
Storm? What storm are you
facing in your family? Is it financial distress? Is it assault and
insult from
your spouse and in-laws because you have not gotten any child? Is it a
recurring sickness? Is it regular fighting between you and your spouse?
If you
are to survive whatever storm that may rise against your family, you
must take
the following steps:
- You must
identify the source of the storm. The first step out of
marital storm is to identify its cause. Once the cause is
identified, the
solution will surely come.
- You must have faith that you
will surely overcome the storm, Acts
27:21-25. Your faith in God serves as an anchor for you in the
midst of
storm. It strengthens you to press forward.
- You must take it to God in
aggressive and fervent prayer. As the
disciples called upon Jesus Christ to help, you and your spouse
must agree
together in prayer. This will calm the storm that may be raging in
your
family (Matt. 18:19-20).
- You must stay together in
unity and love in the midst of storm. The
subtle and the most devastating trap of Satan is for husband and
wife to
allow storm to destroy their unity and love. Whoever is found to be
the
cause of the storm should not be blamed and left alone to solve the
problem. Shifting of blame which results to disunity magnifies the
effect
of storm. If you do not agree together to send the storm away, all
the
members of your family may be swept away by it.
- You must refuse to compromise
in the midst of storm, Job 2:9-10;
19:25-27. You will receive a lot of advice when you and your family
are in
the midst of storm. I will counsel you to watch carefully. Examine
each
advice in the light of God's Word. Any advice that does not conform
to the
Word of God must be thrown away no matter who offers it.
- You must remain with God.
Storm may linger in your family for a
long time, do not make mistake of leaving God. He has promised that
He
will never leave us nor forsake us, Isaiah 43:1-2. Remember, He was
with
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace while He went
with
Daniel into the den of lions. He will never leave you in the storm.
Hold
on to Him, the storm will soon stop.
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