Bible Verses About Family | God’s Heart for the Christian Family

In praying and contemplating doing a post on Bible verses about family I struggled with the knowledge that many of the people who will read this post come, like I do, from broken families or have a broken family. I did not want to come across as presenting some type of ideal that is either unrealistic or harsh when our realities are that we have not had the perfect family that we would all like to have. However there is an ideal, a goal that all of us can work towards meeting that will have great benefits both here on earth and when we get to heaven. You see, in these Bible verses about family, God’s heart is revealed that He wants the family to be whole and healthy and has a plan to see that it is that way. Not because He is some type of ogre that would force us to fit into some type of mold, but because He is a loving father that has an eternities worth of experience that knows what works best. So I present to you the heart of God for the Christian family revealed in His word. May we all, myself included see more of His heart become reality in our families.

Bible Verses About Family

Bible verses supporting a 2 parent family

Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

As you can see with these 2 Bible verses about family, God created the family in the beginning as a 2 parent family consisting of male and female. It was God’s original intent to have the family consist of 2 parents.

Deuteronomy 25:5
[ Marriage Duty of the Surviving Brother ] “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.

1 Timothy 5:14
14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

These Bible verses about family show that it is the heart of God to make sure the 2 parent family stays intact even in the case of a parent dying. This was even put into the law of Moses as a commandment. It shows that God’s heart was to make sure the children and the wife was protected and that the family unit stayed intact. Because of this, it would do us good to consider what is best for our families and our children. Those of us that come from broken homes and had bad experiences with step-parents are sometimes inclined to believe that it is better for children to be raised in a single parent household rather than be forced to accept a step-father. This is true if you are going to choose an ungodly and unbelieving partner. However a godly step-parent would be much better than having only a single parent household. That is not to say that a single parent cannot raise godly kids or do a good job, but if you want the ideal family, then the Bible is clear that God’s heart is for a 2 parent family.

Bible verses about  family and the role a man plays.

Ephesians 5:22-32
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body,[a] of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

These Bible verses about family is one that is both much abused at times, and much hated by those that have been the victims of that abuse. Men are held accountable by God for their leadership of the family. They are called by God to be the head of the family and thus are the ones that will stand before God on judgement day and give an account of how they led their families. In my community, there is a spineless excuse that many men use concerning spiritual matters and the way they lead their families. They say that things concerning spiritual matters, church, and Christian living are not “macho and masculine”. Men let me ask you a question? Are you saying Jesus was a mamma’s boy? You just attempt to do what He did and see how macho and masculine you really are! Quit being a wimp and start leading your family like Jesus. Love your wife and give your life for her. Love your children and lay down your life for them. You will see that being a godly man is no cakewalk. It takes a real man to follow Jesus.

Exodus 12
The Passover Instituted
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.

14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.

25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

This Bible verse about the role of a man in the family shows that the man is called to be the priest or pastor of the family. He is called to lead them in spiritual matters and in worship of God. The man is to be the one that sets the spiritual tone and direction of the household.

2 Samuel 6:11
The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

Matthew 10:11-13
11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

These Bible verses about family show that when a family and the leader of that family allows the presence of God and the servants of God to come and be a part of that family that the blessings of God come to that family. Men, how many of you want your families and your life to be filled with blessings? Then start to be the leader that God has called you to be!

1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

This Bible verse about the role of a man in the family is pretty self-explanatory. Men you are called to be the providers for the family. If you don’t, God takes it pretty seriously.

Bible verses about  family and the role of a woman.

 Colossians 3:18-20

The Christian Home

18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Now before you ladies start sending hate mail to me about this, just remember, I didn’t write it.

Proverbs 31:15
She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants.

Proverbs 31:21
She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

Proverbs 31:27
She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

These Bible verses about family and the woman’s role in the family show that the wife is an important part of the family and has a great responsibility in how the family is healthy and prosperous. She is the nurturer and makes the home and environment of the home either a place of great sanctuary and warmth or not.

Bible verses about family and the role of extended family members.

Genesis 47:12
Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.

Joshua 6:25
And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

2 Timothy 1:5
when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

These Bible verses about family and extended family members show that your extended family is important and can be a blessing to your own life. Joseph ended up being a blessing to his family when he had every reason to be bitter because his brothers sold him into slavery. Rahab, despite her checkered past was used by God to help the children of Israel and since she was obedient to God ended up being a blessing to all of her father’s household, and Timothy’s faith was something that was passed down by his mother and grandmother. Grandparents have a role as well to play in the lives of the family and in the spiritual development of children. I know in my own life if it hadn’t been for godly grandparents praying for me I would not have had the faith that I do today.

Now I just want to encourage you. If you find that what you are experiencing today is not what you see in these Bible verses about family do not give up or lose heart. This is God’s heart for your family and if you will commit your ways to Him, He will bring it to pass. I know from experience. I was a single dad that raised teenagers alone. I have been through the tragedy of divorce. I know the pain. However God has restored to me much of what I have lost. It did not happen overnight but it is happening. If you are single, instead of trying to find God’s partner for you, allow God to make you the type of man or woman He would give to his most treasured son or daughter. Start working on being the man or woman God has made you to be, start working on being the parent that God has called you to be, and the rest will fall into place.

Blessings

Pastor Duke

You can read more Bible verses about family here.

Reference: The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.