I have taken a few time to discuss this issue of the ideal family extemporically here because the twenty first century dimension of the ideal marriage seem to have delve away from the biblical standpoint.
The concept of marriage is so key to the creator because it is a system designed to ensure procreation. The result of this system is the 1.2 billion people estimated to be on the earth today. Gen 1:26-28
In our world today, the foundations of marriage has been broken such that immature sons and daughters go into them whether by error of commission, omission or sheer immaturity.
In scriptures, God established marriage to raise godly nation on to himself and this he exemplified by using Abraham as an example to the rest of us.
A family consists of the father, the mother and the children. Such immature fathers and mothers in this age lacks the merit to be called one because they mess up big time. We are mandated to raise children in the way of the Lord. Proverb: 2:22. This is an instruction from God to parents( father and mother).
It is mandated that they are brought up within the Christian family and community if possible to avoid them being holigans with ungodly children.
The world is becoming more evil in this generation daily because of the roles being played by parents and children alike; and as such we should ensure that our children to keep the right company.
The Father:
Duties:
(1) Protection of the family. Eph 5:25. He is a shield to his family. God designed it to be so. This position of authority should not be challenged at all because i see the so-called feminists challenging this. The case of Miriam was a clear example in the scriptures as God dealt with her because she was trying to usurp authority over Moses.
As a man, you should ensure that you don't use the Protective Ability given you to oppress your wife and children. Everything should be done in order.
(2) He provides spiritual instruction because he is the spiritual head. The man is the priest of the family. Eventhough Sarah was a daughter of God, God choose to relate with Abraham the husband; the same thing is applicable to the other prophets. They had wives, but God choose to relate with their husbands who is the priest of the home.
(3) He should love his wife and it should be shown 100%.
Even though there are ups and downs in the home, issues are not expected to prolong. The man should make peace and ensure that peace reigns in the home. The man is expected to love his wife irrespective of the circumstances and situations that abounds.
Training up children in the way of the Lord is the duty of the woman because most times the men go out in search of good things for the family. Men can only support to make this work.
Today, in some places, the reverse is seen as the case. I have seen wives and children who hawk to bring money to the husband. This is an error.
Also, It is not the duty of the man to beat his wife. Most men fail because they beat their wives. When they go out, things work out against them and move from pillar to post not knowing why such is happening to them. This is spiritual irresponsibility on the part of the man.
The woman is suppose to reverence her husband because he is lord over her. Eph 5:22
Sarah knew this and she accordingly called her husband Abraham Lord.
She is suppose to obey spiritual instruction laid by him. If he does anything contrary, she should still obey him and speak to him about those things in submission. Failure to do this, there will be problems in the home because men have ego and want to be in charge.
The ideal Christian families should have Christian devotion everyday to inculcate Christian principles in the family. The world is in disarray because the home has lost the ethics of biblical foundations. Children of this age lack respect and constitute nuisance to societies thereby shortening their days of living on the face of the earth.
As a child you should keep yourself from sexual sins. Joseph is a perfect example. At a tender age, he refused to defile himself with his master's wife. This takes a lot of discipline to be able to achieve this.
Much energy needs to be exerted by both father mother to ensure that the Ideal family that God instituted can stand on the face of the earth.
