Responsibilities

Bible readings for the day: Genesis 20-21

Abraham's attitude is not always responsible, in particular often seek safety in the face of danger or conflict which eventually led to a bitter fruit, that he should expel Hagar, his mistress, and Ismail, own son (21:10-14).

As the head of household, Abraham should not simply follow her advice to take Hagar as a young wife, because it reflects the distrust of the ability of God fulfilled His promise to give Abraham descendants. Because Abraham did not dare to take responsibility in decision-making, not surprising that Abraham's confusion when his wife asked him to drive his young wife. If Abraham took responsibility as head of household who makes decisions, dilemmas (two difficult choices) of selecting a young wife or an old wives would not have happened.

In the structure of the Christian family, the husband is the head of the stairs that should lead in decision-making and should lead the whole family to follow the will of God. Although the husband and wife must work together in educating children, the responsibility remains in the hands of husbands. Wife is a companion to help her husband so her husband could carry out their responsibilities. If the husband is not responsible, the wife will occupy the position of the husband, and the decisions taken by the wife will be heavily influenced by an unstable feeling. If a wife wants her husband to carry out their responsibilities properly, he should always give support and encouragement to her husband.

Colossians 3:18
"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."

The Importance of Keeping the Faith

Bible readings for the day: Genesis 16-17

Faith is absolutely necessary to hold the promise of God who sometimes seemed absurd. Doubt makes Abraham's hard to refuse when his wife suggested that he take Hagar as a concubine. A moment of faith can bring off the painful effects.

Sara who had menopausal difficult to keep believing that she would get pregnant and bear children for Abraham. Therefore, Sarah suggested that Abraham take Hagar as a concubine. Abraham's willingness to follow the advice of Sara is an ironic thing to remember that in the previous chapter, Abraham believed God's promise that he himself would have descendants (15:5-6).

To understand this story objectively, be aware that the events as God reaffirms his promise to give offspring to Abraham and Hagar when Sara offers to be taken as a young wife who is an interval of perhaps about 10 years. Even though Abraham and Sarah seems to believe God's promise of their descendants, they are not too sure that this promise will be fulfilled through the womb of Sara. They do not think that the idea took Hagar as a young wife with a very bad effect, namely competition and conflict between old wife and a young wife (16:4-6; 21:9-14). Later, their descendants developed into the nations warring in Palestine today.

Sad side of the story of Abraham's family, reminds us that faith in God's promises must be maintained in the long run, not just one or two years, but for life. Removing the faith can bring painful consequences!

James 1:2-3
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

Responsibility to Our Family

Bible readings for the day: Genesis 4-5

Cain and Abel story is a reminder that God must be hold accountable for all of our attitudes and actions toward other people that God placed all around us (Compare this with Ezekiel 3:18).

"Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9) is a reflection of the attitude of Western individualism, which is currently being spread as a result of globalization. Without te-sense, attitudes contrary to the general norms of togetherness in this Eastern world as if he were to accept justification. At present, active, competition, and the difficulties of life make human beings tend to think of himself. More and more elderly people who feel lonely and the children who are not noticed by her parents. In fact, we often encounter struggles between brothers inherited.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the scribes who regard the maintenance of the parents as less important than religious purposes (Matthew 15:5). The Apostle Paul also rebuked those who ignore the hard responsibilities of the family, "if anyone does not provide for his relatives, let alone the rest of the house, people the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8).

Although the burden of this life is increasingly heavy, we must always remember that family care responsibilities who are elderly should not be handed over to the church or charity and responsibility for the care and raising children should not be left to domestic servants.

Genesis 4:10
His Word: "What have you done this? Brother's blood cried unto me from the ground."