Keep your family in God’s image

Bishop Mutebi preaching at Women's conference. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KATO.

What you need to know:

  • Make God the counsellor.
  • Pray for your children.
  • Obedience is key.
  • Encourage one another.
  • Protect your partners.

When you visit Kampala police stations, you will be surprised that most of the suspects in simple robbery cases such as phone theft are children aged between 13 and 19 years. Police often puts the blame on parents who have neglected parenting roles and left children to be brought up by houses not homes. It is against such a background that Bishop Hannington Mutebi of All Saints’ Church Nakasero urged mothers to raise children in God’s image.

Make God the counsellor
At a convention of Church of Uganda Women at Lweza Youth Training and Conference Centre on Entebbe Road. Bishop Mutebi said children brought up in the fear of God are less likely to engage in ungodly acts such as theft and robbery. He told dozens of women in attendance that the best gift you can give your family is making God the first counsellor and teaching children to behave and live in obedience like Jesus did.
“Keeping God aside from family and daily activities is as good as denying Him,” said Bishop Mutebi. This, he said, attracts a punishment. “When we go away from God, He punishes us. For those who love Him, He shows them love forever. Those who hate Him, He punishes them, their children and their generations to come. When we live a Godly life, we escape the punishment,” Bishop Mutebi explains.

Pray for your children
He said families should always pray to cast all sins committed by word of mouth and body deeds before they cross to children and their generations. “That is why sometimes in church we pray to cast away all the sins we commit. Can you imagine my children being punished for my sins? We need to protect our children from being punished by God,” he says.
Jolly Kamishani, the President Kampala Church of Uganda Mothers’ Union, explains that the convention is organised every year to help women reflect on their relationship with God, how to incorporate God in family values, norms and activities but also helps women learn new ideas on how to look after their families.
“A mother is the foundation of the family and to fulfill the family roles, she needs God. She needs new lessons, tactics, counsel and advice to make her family happy and overcome challenges that could shatter the family unity and love. This is why we organise the mothers’ convention so that we can learn from our fellow women,” Kamishani explains.

Obedience is key
Bishop Mutebi further cautioned women married to priests to utilise the opportunity to dwell in Christ to avoid being punished like Lot’s wife. In Genesis 19, God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from heaven. Thus he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the entire plain, destroying those living in the cities and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
“When you walk in the Lord you must stay in God. Jesus warned his disciples on staying in God by reminding them of what had happened to Lot’s wife. He does not ask you to remember righteous people such as Abraham but Lot’s wife whose soul was lost forever. Avoid doubting God,” Bishop Mutebi cautioned.

Encourage one another
Monica Arinitwe, coordinator Kampala Mothers’ Union, said the convention helps women to learn how to look after husbands but to also learn how to cope with the loss of husbands since death is inevitable.
“Every time we gather, we meet women who have lost their husbands, a challenging situation. It is through this convention that we give them advice and where need arises we devise means to help the bereaved,” Arinitwe says.

Protect your partners
Rev Can Dr Rebecca reminded couples that getting married was not just a privilege but God’s love which must be protected jealously. “A woman and a man should know that there are hundreds yearning for your partners but God chose you to be together and therefore you must be there for each other in good and bad times,” she said.
The women also prayed for former Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo who died last month. They described him a man who emphasised having God as part of the family and always encouraged couples to have God as their weapon.

ROLE OF WOMEN
“A mother is the foundation of the family and to fulfil the family roles she needs God. She needs new lessons, tactics, counsel and advice to make her family happy and overcome challenges that could shutter the family unity and love. This is why we organise the mothers’ convention so that we can learn from our fellow women,” Jolly Kamishani, President Kampala Church of Uganda Mothers’ Union says.