Family is important

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Family is important”

It’s amazing how often “family” or an associated term like “relatives” or “kin” is mentioned in the Bible. The count varies by translation, but the idea of family appears more than six hundred times. That’s because the family unit is the foundational structure God created for human relationships. From there it blossoms out to community, state, nation, world – but it begins with the family unit. Unity and cohesiveness in the family is so important to God that He made it the fifth of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:12 above).

When it comes to living long and well, a strong family connection is a vital element. In the National Geographic study on longevity in the geographic Blue Zones where people commonly live to be 100 or more, they found that the stronger family connection and support an individual has, the longer and better they tend to live.

“How does this contribute to longevity? By the time centenarians become centenarians, their lifelong devotion has produced returns: their children reciprocate their love and care. Their children check up on their parents, and in three of the four Blue Zones, the younger generation welcomes the older generation into their homes. Studies have shown that elders who live with their children are less susceptible to disease, eat healthier diets, have lower levels of stress, and have a much lower incidence of serious accidents. The MacArthur Study of Successful Aging, which followed 1,189 people between the ages of 70 and 79 for more than 7 years, showed that elders who lived with their families had much sharper mental and social skills.”

Study after study shows that the more family interaction you have, the longer and better you will likely live. Unfortunately, the study also revealed a disturbing trend in American society:

“America is trending in the opposite direction. In many busy families with working parents and active kids, family time can become rare as everyone’s schedules become more and more packed with things to do. Shared meals and activities can drop off the daily routine, making time together difficult to come by.”

A strong and healthy family structure has been proven to be a key element in longevity. That shouldn’t surprise us – strong families have been God’s plan from the very beginning.

Whatever the structure of your family looks like, I encourage you to nurture it and to maximize your family time. You will be happier and healthier, and you just might live longer.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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