There is always a cause for the conflict in our families and if we stop long enough to reflect on the choices we have made in the past, we will be able to recognise some of our words and actions that have contributed to those conflicts.
We are warned in Scripture to discern the spirits to see whether they are of God. Never was this gift so needed as in today’s violent society. And it is not simply criminals and con artists who warrant this exercise; oftentimes everyday citizens do as well.
There were nights when I laid in bed listening to the sound of arguments and wondering what the family's landscape would look like when I got out of bed in the morning. I was the step daughter and nothing I did was good enough in my stepmother's eyes.
We curse out loud instead of loving and blessing out loud. Our words and thoughts produce life or death. We choose. God gave us the freedom to choose good or evil, peace or worry, contentment or depression, healing or sickness, order or disorder, wealth or poverty, knowledge or illiteracy, and life or death. It is up to us.
The step parent is looked upon as an intruder because of preconceived ideas fueled by the 'step parent myth.' When the situation is not handled diplomatically and with patience, the failure rate will increase. When the children are teenagers or adolescents, the problem becomes even more difficult.
Unfortunately, most American families have given up on the practice of Family Dinner Time and Family Devotions. They are just too busy, even though the act of breaking bread together is a perfect time to interact with one another.
