On God’s Will for the Family, Children Fighting, and Pressure to Obey the Gospel
Question: How can I know God’s will for my family?
First, God’s will for your family is found in the Word of God, which, of course, applies to every family, but I assume you are asking about your specific family. To know God’s will, you begin by praying and asking for wisdom to make the right decisions (James 1:5). As you pray and make plans, do an honest examination of your own heart and make sure you are not praying and planning for selfish purposes (James 4:3). Then, when you plan, be sure that your plans acknowledge that God can “close the door” to your own ideas (James 4:15). But if He closes doors, trust that He will also open doors that will help you know how to guide your family (1 John 5:15). —PH
Question: How can I help my children stop fighting?
If they are old enough to engage in reasoning, help them look at themselves and their sibling and ask why they are fighting. Then help them work through the argument to find a resolution that makes both children feel good about the outcome. If it is appropriate to the situation, have each child do something good for the other; sometimes it is appropriate to have them hug each other or hold hands. There are not too many behaviors that will discourage fighting among children more than having to hold a brother or sister’s hand! Finally, be sure that you and your spouse are modeling appropriate ways to handle conflict. Children learn from what they see! —PH
Question: My teenage child is thinking about being baptized, but he feels pressured to do so. What can I do?
Explain to your child that feeling pressured to do something does not necessarily mean that the thing he feels pressured about is to be rejected. Every day, people feel “pressured” to get up at a certain hour, go to work, do homework, be nice to others, stop at a red light, etc. Feelings of pressure should not be the determining factor in whether to do something or not (Jeremiah 17:9).
Having explained that, now help him understand that there may be valid reasons for the pressure he feels. First, there may be some pressure from the church. It is logical for those who have been saved and enjoy the hope of eternal life to desire that others may receive the same benefits they have (Romans 9:1-5); that good, caring, and intense desire may be interpreted as “pressure.” Second, your child may know enough about sin, his spiritual condition, the Gospel, the church, and his need to obey the Lord, and that knowledge may consequently be weighing on his mind (Acts 26:27-29). Third, since no one, even the young, has the assurance of one more day of life, the knowledge of going into eternity unprepared will surely add to the pressure (Hebrews 9:27).
The real question is not whether he feels some pressure about obeying the Gospel, but whether that pressure is justified (is he intellectually and maturely ready to do so?); most importantly, how will he respond to it? (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). —MP
Published in Christian Family 11.1 (2026): 16.
