Building Strong Families: 3 Insights from Deuteronomy 6

What does it take to build a strong family? With so many influences and voices on this topic, it is important to go back to a biblical foundation as you seek to understand building a lasting family. Let’s start by looking at Deuteronomy 6 where Moses is teaching the Israelites how they should behave now that they are no longer slaves in Egypt, and he lays out practical guidance.

Portions of this passage make up the Shema, a daily prayer in the Jewish tradition, which shows how these instructions have lasted for generations.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Through the entire chapter, there are key themes that can still provide guidance for our families even today, including repetition, remembrance, and faithfulness.

Building Strong Families Through Repetition

One of the behaviors seen consistently throughout the chapter is all the actions to continue to repeat: share God’s words over and over, do what is good, tell the stories. If you want a strong family, repeat what matters and build the practices that support this. In Deuteronomy 6, it talks about how they were instructed to bind it to their body and write the words on the doorposts so it would not be forgotten.

The power of repetition is that it is like building a muscle. The more you train and repeat, the stronger it becomes. Strong families will have clear values and priorities identified that should be repeated over and over.

Building Strong Families Through Remembrance

In Deuteronomy 6, it calls families to share the story of how they were brought out of Egypt and what God did, so that they will not forget. This principle is still true today to build a strong family. When we reflect and remember God’s work, it keeps us humble and focused on our dependence on Him. Otherwise, it becomes easy to be caught up in daily life and we become disconnected from God’s work.

What are the stories your family needs to remember? 

Building Strong Families Through Faithfulness

Faithfulness can be one of those words that can get brushed over as a cliche, but it is a powerful concept for creating a strong family. As Deuteronomy 6 illustrates, faithfulness is made up of who you are faithful to and how you are faithful. You need to center your family on God and define the behaviors of faithfulness that will guide your family. This creates a much more focused approach.

“And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you”- Deuteronomy 6:18. Remind your family of why the behaviors matter, even the small things. It is an act of worship to God, and it is usually an indicator of how successful you will be or not depending on who you are being faithful to.

What Does a Strong Family Mean to You?

With the guidance of Deuteronomy 6, it puts into context what a lasting family looks like. It isn’t dependent on wealth or status. In fact, it is not only attainable for every family but it is also what God intended for every family. So now it is your turn. What would your own Deuteronomy 6 look like? What do you want future generations to repeat? What stories of God will you tell? What practices will create faithfulness in your family?

Now is always the best time to start.

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