What is the family?

In a culture where every role and relationship—from the husband-wife relationship to the parent-child relationship—is in the process of redefinition, it’s hard to get a grip on what family should look like. Even for Christians, who have many pictures of family life in the Bible, it’s hard to make those pictures a present-day reality when our culture paints a very different portrait.

To strengthen our grip on what God intended for the family, let’s turn to His Word, specifically Psalms 127 and 128. Though not a detailed manual for successful family life, these two ancient hymns paint a mural of inspired images depicting four stages of family life: the foundation of the home (Psalm 127:1–2), the expansion of the home (127:3–5), the child-rearing years (128:1–3), and the later years (128:4–6). These verses can help us appreciate, as well as improve, our families.