Future Family (2) – Mutual Submission

We started this new series Future Family and obviously we are talking about family. When it comes to family there is a tension we all feel and that’s the tension between what’s real and what’s ideal. We may all be part of a less than ideal family and even though culture tells us that’s normal, that’s what everyone is experiencing, there is something inside of us that wants to strive for the ideal. That’s the tension we face every day. Even if you have given up on having an ideal family for yourself, you have not given up and will not ever give up on wishing an ideal family for your kids, for your grandkids.

So here is what we are attempting to do in this series – to take the teachings of Jesus about family and ask ourselves how we can apply it within the context of our own families. My prayer is that even though we may never ever reach the standard of an ideal “Jesus taught” kind of family, as Christ followers we will never give up and never lose sight of the ideal. Today we are going to start with the first principle, a principle that has the potential to change everything in family dynamics, and it starts with this question – What can I do to help?

Moving Forward

Christian families should be characterized by mutual submission. The message of mutual submission is, I’m here for you. The assumption of mutual submission is, You are of no less value than me. The question mutual submission asks is, What can I do to help?

Discussion Questions

1. Talk about a time when someone in your family went out of his or her way to help you. How did it affect your relationship with that person?

2. What is one obstacle to practicing mutual submission in your family? How can you overcome that obstacle?

3. Which member of your family do you need to ask, “What can I do to help?” What can the members of this group do to help you follow through?