TOPIC: UK RIOTS IN OUR HOMES?

BIBLE PASSAGES: Proverbs 28:7, Romans 13:13, Titus 1:6

Violent, disorderly, unruly, uncontrolled, uncontained, lawless, mutinous, unrest, rebellion

I want us all to take a look at the meanings of riot and riotous living and then once you have done so, stop and think which one of this is in my life, my home or my children’s life. It is really easy to point fingers at those rioting and looting as we see on the TV. We call them all sorts of names and even go the extent of blaming their parents or the government. I know I did. But the truth is for those who do not have Christ similar things happen in their homes albeit on a smaller scale.

Let us start with a broken home, the reason it is broken is because one or both parties have led a riotous life. One of the couple is uncontrolled in the case of excessive drinking and adultery. One of the couple is violent in the case of anger and actual physical abuse. In such homes there is unrest. The children pick up on this and become disorderly or rebellious. This is a form of the riots we see on the TV. This is where it all starts. The stealing comes when one party takes from the other what they have built together. The bruises may not be physical but they remain for a long time to come. The fire may not be physical but the home is in effect destroyed and burnt down. The couples are burnt or scorched and as such it reflects in their relationship with others. They cannot completely trust or love anyone again.

In the good old days divorce was a stigma, you stayed and worked it out or accepted your faith in life. We did not have so many ills in the society or children who are damaged as result of a broken home. Some single parents do really try to manage the damage to the children and the children turn out well but let us go back to the root cause and stop curing systems.

Every marriage and home needs Christ to stay together. Without Christ it is almost impossible to know the peace that comes from being happily married. Ask God to intervene in your relationship before you get to the marriage stage. And when you get married, ask God to stay in your marriage. What is sad today is that even Christian homes break up and that is simply because their religion is Christianity but they have not made their religion there way of life. They say weight loss and keeping fit is a way of life and not a six week stint. This is so true. Once you enrol in a weight loss program and loose weight for the 6 weeks duration of the program and you go back to your old lifestyle, you will undoubtedly put the weight straight back on. I am sure that you agree with me because you have either been there before or you know someone who has. This analogy works the same way with Christianity. It is a way of life as suppose to name for your religion or something you practice on Sundays, at Christmas or when you are in trouble and you need God.

A family that prays together stays together. They will bring up their children with the same Christian morals. The children will see your lifestyles as practising Christians and emulate you. They will be well rounded children. You will have no riots in your home. There will be no violence, mutiny, lawlessness or rebellion in your home. The peace of the Lord God almighty will reign supreme in your home.

I implore you to invite Christ Jesus into your home; through him only can peace reign in your marriage and your home. Move close to God, pray and read the word of God, which is the bible. I pray that as you invite Christ into your home today, he will mend all that is broken, he will take anger, violence and rebellion out of your home and replace it with peace of the Lord that surpasses human understanding. Amen.