Dysfunctional Families

Talk about a dysfunctional family! Jacob and his sons definitely had issues. It would probably be fair to say that perhaps parents have one child in particular that they connect with more than their other children. But Jacob made it blatantly obvious to the rest of the family that Joseph was his pride and joy. The older brothers resented him for it. Of course, Joseph didn’t make things any easier for himself. He told his brothers about the dreams he had where he would rule over them. The older brothers hated him so much they plotted to kill him! That sounds like a soap opera storyline.

The hatred Joseph’s brothers felt for him fueled their vile plans to sell him into slavery. It was those very plans that led Joseph to Egypt where he eventually ruled as second in command under Pharaoh. His position saved the rest of his family from starvation and preserved God’s chosen people.

Many of us can find dysfunction in our own families, some more than others. But no family is perfect, no matter how it looks from the outside. As much as we may wish people would just act right, they may stay in their fears and dysfunction forever. God can and does heal hearts, but only if we cooperate with His work in us.

The good news is that God uses dysfunctional families. God’s plans will come to pass despite, or even as a result of, our messy lives.

Lord, help me to have grace for those family members who lead very dysfunctional lives. I know you can use us no matter what. Amen.

Go Deeper — The early patriarchs were not immune to character flaws. In fact, most of the “heroes” of the Bible stumbled many times in their walks with God. If you are struggling with dysfunction in your family, seek out a counselor, or contact a mentor here at TheLife.com. Don’t walk through it alone.