WEEK 1 - 3: Relationship in the Family
A family is a group of people who are related by blood. Members of a family include father, mother and their children. The family is the first contact an agent of socialization immediately a child is born. Members of a family share a relationship, which enables every member to show love, give emotional comfort and concern to the members.
Types of the family
We can identify two types of family. They are:
1. Nuclear family: A nuclear family consists of the father, the mother and their children. Members of a nuclear family usually live together as a unit and the size is not big.
2. Extended family: This family type includes the father, the mother, sons, daughters, grandchildren, grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces etc.
Recognition of family members
Members of a nuclear family:
• Father: He is the head of the family. He is the husband of the woman, while the children call him daddy or father. The father bears so many responsibilities as the head of the house.
• Mother: Mother takes care of the home. She is a partner to the father. She assists the father in so many ways. For example, she cooperates with the father to ensure that peace reigns at home. She helps the father to supply the needs of the family. She cooks food for the family and takes care of the clothing and health of the members.
• Children: They are female or male members of the house born by the father and mother. They are expected to be obedient to the parents and do all the household works given them.
Members of an extended family:
• Father: A male parent of the family
• Mother: A female parent of the family
• Children
• Uncle: The brother of your father or mother
• Aunt: The sister of your father or mother
• Niece: The daughter of your sister or brother
• Nephew: The son of your brother or sister.
• Cousin: The son or daughter of your uncle or aunt
• Brother-in-law: The brother of somebody's husband or wife. The husband of somebody's sister
• Sister-in-law: The sister of somebody's husband or wife.
• Grandfather: The father who gave birth to somebody's father or mother.
• Grandmother: The mother who gave birth to somebody's father or mother.
• Parents-in-law: The parents of somebody's wife or husband.
Different roles of members of the family (Ephesians 6:1-9, 5:21-33, Colossians 3:18-21, I Peter 3:1-7)
Roles of the Father (Ephesians 6:4):
1. Fathers should not provoke their children to anger. The father must endeavour to provide for the needs of his children.
2. Fathers should bring up their children in the way of God. This means that fathers should raise their children in a way that pleases God and the children must have the fear of God in their hearts.
Roles of Wives (Ephesians 5:22-24):
1. Wives should be subject to their husbands as to the Lord. Wives should live and abide by the authority of their husbands.
2. Wives should see their husbands as their head.
3. Wives should not allow their adornment to be merely to beautify their outward appearance. Rather, they should beautify their inner person. They should have a gentle and quiet spirit.
4. The wives should obey their husbands just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord.
5. Wives should be submissive to their husbands.
Roles of Husbands (Ephesians 5:25 -28) Husbands should love their wives:
1. Husbands should provide for their family. Such provisions include food, shelter, clothing etc.
2. Husbands should regard their wives as their better half. In essence, they should see their wives as indispensable and inseparable from them.
Roles of Children as members of the family (Ephesians 6:1-3):
1. Children should obey their parents, as this is what pleases the Lord.
2. They should give honour to their father and their mother to fulfil the commandment of the Lord.
Roles of Servants in the family (Ephesians 6:5-6) The Holy Bible also outlines the roles the servants must play at home and the responsibilities of their masters who hire their services:
1. Servants should be obedient to their earthly masters.
2. Servants should serve their masters willingly without doing eye service.
3. They should do the will of God from their heart.
4. They should render service with goodwill and have the belief that they are doing it for God, not men. God will reward them for their service.
Roles of Masters to their servants (Ephesians 6:9):
Masters should not threaten or maltreat their servants knowing that their master is also in heaven.
WEEK 4 - 8: Relationship in the School
A school is a place where we receive formal education which is different from the informal education that we receive at home. As we have different people that we relate with at home, we also relate with some officers who are in charge of the day to day running of the school. Can you remember the names of those people you relate within your school? Some of them are listed below. As a student who goes to school regularly and relates to these people, you have to remember and supply the name of each of them in front of their position.
Factors to consider in choosing friends at school
At school, you mingle with different people who can be categorized as your friends, classmates and schoolmates. Many of these people are from different homes and background. You need to be guided on how to choose some of them as your friends. Some good friends in school can be chosen by considering the following characteristics.
1. Common interest: A good friend should have a common interest with you. For example, you may want to choose a friend who is brilliant like you so that you can read your books and discuss your subjects together. Some students make friends in school because they discuss politics, music, football and entertainment together. This depends on your area of interest.
2. Age: Age can be a factor in choosing a friend. Some students find it comfortable to relate with people of their age than older people.
3. Religion: No religion forbids making friends with other persons from other religions. It is good to make friends with a schoolmate who is God-fearing. Every religion, Christianity, Islam or traditional religion preaches the fear of God. At the same time, some students are easily attracted to their fellow students who practise the same religion.
4. Students can also consider students who have certain good attributes like honesty, truthfulness, self-control/discipline, hard work, dedication, reliability, etc in making friends.
The friendship between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-5)
David was the son of Jesse. He was successful in killing Goliath, the Philistine. King Saul was impressed and asked Abner to bring David to him. Saul asked him whose son he was and David answered that “I am the son of your servant, Jesse”. That day, Saul did not allow David to go back to his father.
At this point when David stayed with Saul, he was attracted to Jonathan, Saul’s son who became his friend. He loved him like his soul. Jonathan also removed his garment, armour, bow and sword and gave them to David. This was a genuine friendship that showed that he could allow David to reign as King on the throne of his father, Saul.
Jonathan was killed during a war at Mount Gilboa. It was a painful occurrence to David because during a war at Mount both of them loved each other as good friends.
The friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-13)
Jesus used the parable of a midnight visit to teach his disciples the tie or closeness that exists between two good friends. He told the parable to let us know that if we have a good relationship with God, He will always be ready and willing to grant our request whenever we pray to Him. So, Jesus wants us to be persistent in making our request.
The story of the friend at midnight goes thus:
A friend had a visitor at night but he had nothing to entertain the friend who had arrived at his house from a journey. He had to run to the house of his friend to ask for some loaves. Jesus said that the friend was already in his bed with his children in the night. However, he might not be willing to leave his bed because it was in the night. But because the friend continued to knock at the door and persistently asked for the bread, that friend who was already in bed with his children got up and gave him what he wanted because he is his friend.
This parable confirms the strong tie of friendship and why we should be persistent when we make our request from God through prayer.
Effects of having bad friends (Proverbs 1:20, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13)
Bad friends corrupt good manners. We should not keep bad friends. The effects of keeping bad friends are as follows:
1. Bad friends can lure one into cultism. Cultists usually engage in violence, they kill and injure people. Don’t ever make friends with a cult member.
2. Bad friends steal. Stealing is not good. Anybody who steals may be killed, disgraced or imprisoned.
3. Do not make friends with drug addicts. Taking drugs ruins the life of the addicts and may even lead to their death.
4. A bad friend can persuade you to engage in prostitution. Prostitution can lead to contracting viral diseases like HIV/AIDs, gonorrhoea, etc. You can also fall into the hands of those who engage in sex for rituals.
5. Lesbianism is common among bad female friends. Equally, bad male friends engage in homosexuality. These two negative acts are very dangerous to the health and you can contract deadly diseases through them.
6. A bad friend will ask you to smoke. Smoking is not good because smokers are liable to die young.
7. A bad friend drinks alcohol. Alcohol can push you to commit crimes. Besides, drinking alcohol is dangerous to your health.
8. A student can learn laziness from bad friends. Bad friends are usually lazy, so they can influence you to become lazy. A lazy person can never prosper.
9. Bad friends are always absent from school. This act called truancy can lead to failure in school. If you move with bad friends, they will destroy your academic success and career.
