Lake Eufaula Christian Church
God created us with a dependence upon Him and His plans in order to function at maximum efficiency. For any family to function as it should, it needs to operate in the manner God intended, building a Biblical foundation for a spiritually healthy family.
One requirement is stated clearly in 1 Timothy 5:8: “But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” The Apostle Paul shared this wisdom as it relates to caring for widows with a young pastor named Timothy, and the principle applies to any family member.
Timothy’s church was under attack by false teachers who undermined the responsibilities that come with family life, and Paul was quick to respond with what God intended. You don’t have to be a Christian to know you should provide for your family’s basic needs. Because doing so was God’s idea, we Christ-followers should raise the bar in that respect.
We may know what we are supposed to do, but the evidence of our faith in Jesus comes not in the knowledge, but in the action of carrying it out. Paul went on to tell another young Pastor, named Titus, “They claim to know God, but they deny Him by their works.” (Titus 1:16) James, the brother of Jesus, asked, “What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but has not works? … Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren?” (James 2:14, 20 ). He concludes in verse 2:26, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.”
Thus, families providing for each other is necessary while leaning upon God’s grace. Everyone needs food, water, and shelter to survive. When God created people, He made sure we had the necessary elements for our physical needs. He said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you…” (Genesis 1:29) God also told us how to fulfill our emotional needs. “Each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33). God wants your family to show genuine love, respect, and encouragement to each other. Children are told to honor their parents, and Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Each family also has spiritual needs. “I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4) To know that one’s family walks in the truth of God’s ways brings joy— not just to the family, but to the Lord Himself.
We at LECC—415987 Highway 9, Eufaula— joyfully embrace Godly goals and try to fill the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our church family and community. We welcome all to share our Sunday school at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesday night all-age events at 6:30 p.m.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
