Dear Friend,
At a recent meeting, our founder chairman Dr. James Dobson passionately expressed his ongoing concern for the institution of the family and our country's spiritual welfare. He noted the essential need to "get back to the basics" of prioritizing our faith in every aspect of life, especially where it is needed most—within the walls of our homes. If there was ever a breakpoint in America's history when a recalibration of the family is needed, that time is now.
To understand the urgency of this matter, one must only comprehend the enemy's (Satan's) endgame, as succinctly shared in an article published by The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
"The serpent remains active today with his distortions and lies, and he fundamentally wants to destroy the family."1
Every exceptional coach knows that games are won and lost by how well the players execute the basics of the game. Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and former NFL coach, stated it this way:
"It's not necessarily who has the most talent but what team sticks together and executes their fundamentals the best."2
Regarding family and how to thrive in life, we have the winning playbook. God created us to invest in relationships, principally with Him and then with others. The institutions of marriage and family are at the epicenter of this relational intimacy, and the covenantal marital bond between a man and a woman exemplifies this like no other relationship. This is the Lord's building block of society that has defined humanity for ages and will continue to do so.
From this sacred oneness, children are created. This fact is both breathtaking and beautiful. What parent hasn't stared in awe at his or her little baby and marveled at the fact that that tiny human being shares the likeness of both the mother and father? It is incredible to think that a new and unique person is created from the co-mingling of DNA from both the man and woman, and that this life is a reflection of generations past and bears the very image of God.
It's no wonder that family relationships can be so profoundly caring and connected. If you are a parent, I'm sure that you will never forget that feeling of holding your child for the first time. On that day, your God-given capacity to love grew exponentially, as did your sacrificial calling to serve others. Not long ago, a close relative told me that his parenting assignment is the most demanding and rewarding job he has ever undertaken. Amen, brother.
Dr. Dobson once referred to this familial spiritual undertaking as the "Great Family Commission." It is God's grand design for a married couple to anchor their relationship to Christ, have children (if possible), and then, as parents, be disciple-makers of their children. It is this simple: Your home is your first and greatest mission field. If the Lord's love, grace, and truth are not fully displayed there, it will unlikely occur elsewhere.
I've been blessed to witness this divinely driven love up close and personal multiple times. To see it firsthand is to observe God's awesome handiwork, and it is life-transforming.
A friend of mine battled brain cancer for over a decade. He courageously fought this relentless disease over and over again. His love for God and his family compelled him to never give up. If this enemy was going to take him down, he'd go down swinging.
Yet, behind my friend's daily battle for life was another equally courageous person—his wife. She was also a warrior for Christ and her family. She cared for her husband day and night, tended to the household needs, and homeschooled their school-aged daughter. She was by her husband's side through chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and countless doctors' appointments. Her enduring care for her husband was nothing short of pure heroism. And that is precisely how God intended marriages and families to function—a lifelong commitment of sacrificial love that transcends the trials of life. It is love that knows no boundaries and never gives up when the going gets tough.
I witnessed a similar bond between a son and his aging mother. When his mother could no longer care for herself, the son and his wife restructured their lives in an effort to care for her. It was a reversal of roles in which her son now cooked, bathed, clothed, and cared for this amazing woman who had once done the same for him years before when he was a little boy. If he had been asked why he and his wife did this, the son (my father) would have replied, "She is my mom. That's what families do."
Regardless of the cost, our calling in Christ is to honor God, our family, and others. When the outside world examines our lives, they should readily see this played out; it may well be the greatest testament of our faith to a lost world.
However, we are all aware that these God-defined fundamentals are under attack. The devil seems to be working overtime to systematically destroy this country, and his vile influence is everywhere—from the great halls of our government buildings to the agencies overseeing our schools. Young people are choosing not to marry and are celebrating cohabitated, self-centered, childless lives. Divorce and fatherlessness plague families. The teacher's unions have embraced a radicalized LGBTQ+ agenda, and the leading medical institutions are promoting the mutualization of minors through chemical and surgical means for the sake of money and "gender-affirming" care. The unborn are being slaughtered and declared less than human, and vulnerable children are being trafficked for sex. Smartphones that afford unabashed access to online porn and endless immoral content have taken over the lives of our youth, and the church has too often remained silent in its effort not to offend.
Here is the question we need to ask: Are we willing to do the hard and important work that must be done?
"But the mission does not leave us where we are. It summons us to greater things and personal change. And that requires that we face hard truths…There are dark forces that resist this mighty work… To fulfill our purpose, we must struggle against the evil in the world—and in ourselves."3
Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs, Josh Hawley
This is why we are heralding a message to return to the basics, with the understanding that no human being or institution lives in a vacuum void of cultural influences and civic duties. As Dr. Dobson has shared, we must take God's transforming grace and truth into all sectors of life as it relates to our families, this culture, and the country we call home. Dr. Dobson elaborated with this statement:
First, let me encourage you to commit wholeheartedly to your spouse and your marriage. By living faithfully in accordance with God's plan for your marital relationship, others will see His truth in action.
Secondly, as an engaged citizen, I urge you to support and advocate for policies and elected officials who recognize marriage and family as the central building block of a healthy society.
We owe our nation's history to the institution of the family, and America's future still depends on it.
Unless we act to change the course, our children and grandchildren will grow up in a country that embraces everything contrary to God's design for marriage and family.
I pray that you will evaluate this information carefully and prayerfully, and then let your voices be heard—in your homes and your communities, and in helping to influence government policies. God help us if we fail to do our part.4
At JDFI, we have helpful and relevant resources for every area of family life. If you haven't visited our website lately or downloaded our app, I encourage you to do so. There, you will find many articles, broadcasts, podcasts, and videos that will assist you in building your home life upon the fundamentals of your faith in Jesus Christ.
Please share the message of this letter with as many people as possible, and may it be said of us that we are indeed doing our part.
In closing, if our Lord has positioned you financially to support our ministry, we have growing budgetary needs and we would be so grateful if you would assist us in meeting them. We promise to steward these gifts wisely. By God's grace, together we will impact the institution of the family, the culture, this nation, and the world for Jesus Christ.
May He bless you and your family in the days ahead.
Warmest regards,
1. Hamilton, Jim (November 21, 2023) Karl Marx Has Won the Culture, But He Will Not Win the War, The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Web.
2. Begley, Ian (September 25, 2010) Tony Dungy visits Jets, talks to Yankees, ESPN, Web.
3. Senator Josh Hawley, “A Man’s Mission,” Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs, (Regnery, May 2023): p. 29
4. James C. Dobson, Critical Issue #3 - Marriage and Family, JDFI Website, Web.
This letter may be reproduced without change and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes without prior permission from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. Copyright, 2024 JDFI. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Printed in the U.S.
