Family | Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.

Family
Copyright © May 15, 2025 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.

Introduction
Family Dinner

What is a family?

Does a family include a husband and a wife?
Does a family include a mother, a father, and one or more sons and daughters?
Does a family include granddaughters and grandsons?
Does a family include grandfathers and grandmothers?
Does a family include great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents?
Does a family include aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews?
Does a family include first-cousins, second-cousins, and third-cousins?

How should a family function?

Should the people in a family help one another?
Should the people in a family love one another?
Should the people in a family attempt to live in harmony with one another?
Should the people in a family forgive one another?

Should each person in a family be self-centered and only concerned about his or her own happiness?
Should each person in a family selfishly use the other members of the family?
Should each person in a family tell lies to the other people in the family?

In your opinion, what actually defines a normal, happy family?

Discussion
The Holy Bible tells us that God is our Heavenly Father and that God intentionally created each and every person that has ever lived, and every person that is currently alive, and every person that will be born at some time in the future.

The Holy Bible also tells us that God expects us to live in harmony with Him and with one another.

For example, the Ten Commandments are in the Old Testament and they say the following (Exodus 20:3-17, New King James Version):

In the New Testament Jesus told us the following (Matthew 22:37-40, New King James Version):

God loves every person on the face of the earth because every one of us is a child of God. God intentionally created every one of us exactly as we are. God did not make any mistakes. But God did not create any one of us as a "perfect person" when we were born. Every one of us has some flaws of some kind and God expects each one of us to gradually become aware of our shortcomings and to take action to improve our behavior towards Him and towards one another.

What God will not tolerate is an excuse such as the following: "This is the way God made me and this is how I behave and there is nothing I can do about it."

In other words, nobody can blame God for their behavior. If a person is a habitual liar, or thief, or immoral, or a gossip, then that person is behaving in a manner that is not acceptable to God. God expects us to realistically evaluate our behavior and to take action to improve our behavior so that we can live in harmony with Him and with one another.

Jesus summarized how we should behave towards others as follows:

Matthew 7:12 (New King James Version)
12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

If you would like some more information about the above scripture verse then please click here.

Forgiveness
Forgiving other people is not optional.

Forgiving other people is mandatory.

The Holy Bible says the following about forgiveness.

Luke 6:37 (New King James Version):
37 "Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Matthew 6:14-15 (New King James Version):
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Mark 11:25-26 (New King James Version):
25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.
26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

When Jesus died on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of every person who would put their faith in Him, beginning with Adam and Eve. (Note: God, in His human form as Jesus, walked in the Garden of Eden, and He spoke with Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve obviously believed in Him. Genesis 3:8.)

If we confess Jesus as our Savior, then should we follow in His footsteps and forgive other people?

Or is it okay to be defiant and to only forgive the people that we want to forgive?

Retribution
When we discuss the topic of forgiveness we must also discuss the topic of "paying somebody back for a wrong that they did to us."

Or instead of "paying the person back" we may decide that it is okay to simply ignore the person, or to avoid having anything to do with the person because of "what that person did."

However, the Holy Bible says the following:

Matthew 5:44-45 (New King James Version):
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;"

Luke 6:27-28 (New King James Version):
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you."

The Holy Bible clearly says that people are not to do anything that would be detrimental to another person.

However, the Holy Bible does say that God gave governments the authority and the responsibility to judge people and to punish evil behavior.

Even if the government does not punish an evil person, we can be assured that God will fairly punish that person in the way that God believes is appropriate.

If is also possible that the person may eventually accept Jesus as Savior and the person's sins will be forgiven and this includes everything the person may have done against us.

The best course of action would be to allow God to administer justice in the way God knows is best. God may decide to use the government to punish the person. Or God may decide to wait and punish the person in front of the entire world at the Great White Throne Judgment.

Romans 12:19 (New King James Version):
19 Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

Judging Others
We should not invest our time in "fixing other people."

Our primary objective should be to fix ourselves.

Matthew 7:1-4 (New King James Version):
1 "Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged: and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, and do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye', and look, a plank is in your own eye?"

Luke 6:41-42 (New King James Version):
41 "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
42 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite!"

It is really, really easy to see a mistake that someone else has made.

But it is extremely difficult to objectively evaluate every aspect of our own behavior.

One day when I stand before Jesus Christ I will not be evaluated based on what other people have done.

Instead I will be evaluated based on what I have actually done.

And my heavenly rewards will be based on the good deeds I have done and if I have interacted with other people in a manner that the Holy Bible says is acceptable to God.

Conclusion
Improving our behavior is a life-long process.

It is relatively easy for some people to fix some aspects of their behavior rather quickly.

However, none of us can completely fix everything that is wrong with us and we cannot become a "perfect person" while we are here on this earth.

But each one of us should never be satisfied with our current behavior if we know that what we are doing is offensive to God or to other people. We should always be trying to intentionally improve our behavior and we should not give up just because we do not make progress towards our goal as quickly as we desire.

One of our most important jobs while we are here on this earth is to learn how to do what God asks us to do in the Holy Bible.

The Holy Bible also clearly tells us that we should chose our friends wisely, and that we should not follow in the footsteps of evil people.

When we get to heaven we will discover that heaven will be one big happy "family" and everyone will love God and everyone will love everyone else.

The people that God will allow to live forever with Him in heaven will need to be able to live in harmony with God. And we will need to have a desire to willingly obey all of God's laws. And when we get to heaven we will need to be able to live in harmony with every person, angel, and creature in heaven.

In other words, we should be at peace with everyone and we should not harbor any evil thoughts about anyone when we arrive in heaven.

It is sad but the Holy Bible clearly tells us that some people will not be allowed to enter heaven:

Matthew 7:21-23 (New King James Version):
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' "

Matthew 25:41 (New King James Version):
41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:"

God is not impressed by our intentions or by our self-justification. God will evaluate each one of us based on what we have actually done. However, those who truly accepted Jesus as their Savior will be evaluated differently when compared to those who rejected Jesus as Savior, and those who only pretended to accept Jesus as Savior but who lived their daily lives in defiance of the will of God (even if they did attend church almost every Sunday).

If you would like to know how you can get to heaven then please click here.

May God Bless,
Grandpappy.

Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com