This order matters

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife,

and they shall become one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24

This Detail Matters

God established the family before the church and before the government. That order matters. The family is the basic building block of society and the first place our faith is to be lived out. In MD5, we prioritize the family because God does.

Because of its importance, from the beginning, Satan has attacked the home. If he can weaken the family, everything else eventually crumbles. That’s why passivity is so dangerous, and we must reject it. Men were never meant to sit on the sidelines—especially in their own homes.

Love Protects Spiritually

Part of our God-given responsibility as men is protection—both spiritual and physical.

Protection starts with leadership and setting the spiritual tone in our homes. It begins with prayer and reading God’s Word. These practices produce the fruit of the Spirit, repentance, obedience, humility, and other nurturing traits that build a godly culture in our homes. If the spiritual temperature of the home is not right, we must own it and make course corrections immediately.

Love Protects Physically

I think we also protect our family by how we love. Christ protected the church by laying down His life for her, not by controlling her. When a wife feels cherished and children feel secure, the home becomes a refuge instead of the proverbial pressure cooker. Love creates safety, and safety allows our families to flourish.

Just Say No

Finally, we protect our family by guarding what comes in. Every home has gates—media, influences, priorities, and habits. Men, we are the gatekeepers. Sometimes the most loving word a father can say is no.

In MD5, family is Top 5% work. Making disciples begins at home. If we get this wrong, nothing else we do really matters.

Steve Crawley

MD5 Facilitator