Olya’s Reviews > Family Revision: How Ancient Wisdom Can Heal the Modern Family > Status Update

“I am not called to ministry apart from my family; I am my family and my family is me. We are inseparable. If God calls me to go on some unique mission and I’m married, then He’s also calling my wife. And if we have kids, then He’s calling them too. The tales of single-minded pastors living like single men, working almost every night of the week to serve the church, should not inspire us.”

“A strong family team identity causes kids to view more children as assets instead of liabilities-the team gets stronger with each child born. Each new child’s strengths and resources are added to the collective family resources. This is especially true if the parents can foster the understanding that the family is a team for life.”

Every morning when he goes to work, it’s as if his family is sending him out on a mission to strengthen them by bringing back resources. And since a family team thinks about family multigenerationally, this father prizes efforts that will provide for his family - not only in his lifetime, but also long after he’s gone. He wants to secure assets, and therefore opportunity and stability that can be passed down.

“Today modern corporations have done much to provide a sense of team spirit, where a man feels he is leading or is part of a corporate team, with the primary identity of employee of the corporation. But a classical father could never view work in this way. He is already on a team and he is working for his family, no matter what type of job he has.”