Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

More than a few family refrigerators have displayed, next to pictures and artwork and shopping lists, a list of chores. Everybody in the family is expected to contribute and do their part. That's being a family - loving and serving one another. It's our duty, even if it means cleaning a bathroom or doing the dishes.

The same is true for children of the heavenly Father. In His family, we love and serve one another. In the Catechism, Luther gave God's list of "chores," which he called the Table of Duties. They remind us that our primary question should not be "What's my family supposed to do for me?" but rather "What does God want me to do for my family?"

For parents, God says our duty is to be gentle with our children and teach them God's Word to save their souls. For children, God wants us to honor our parents. For husbands, God gives us the duty of loving our wives and caring for them. And for wives, God says our duty is loving and respecting our husbands.

The strength to serve our earthly family is found in our heavenly family. God our Father loves and cares for us. Jesus, our Brother and the husband of the Church, covers us with GRACE. And the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, works through the Word of God to give us faith. Our triune God promises to be with us as we fulfill the duties He gives us as wives, husbands. children, and parents.
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