The Family Foundation

I have warm memories of my childhood. There were tough times during the Great Depression, but our close-knit family met those challenges together. We may have lacked for money at times, but we never lacked for love.

My faith and values were shaped by my family. Like a lot of kids, I may not always have gone willingly to church as a child, but the lessons I learned in church and Sunday school have lasted a lifetime. My parents taught me the Gospel and the meaning of love. They instilled Christian values that remain an important part of who I am today.

Helen and I were not perfect parents in raising our children when they were young. We made mistakes. But our children always knew they were loved. Wetold them and - equally important - showed them in as many ways as we knewhow that we believed in them and were proud of them. And we carry on that family tradition with our grandchildren, because parents and grandparents need to talk about their faith and values and demonstrate them every day tobuild a strong foundation for children.

If we're too busy to spend time with our families, we're too busy. There's no substitute for giving our children our attention, listening to them, answering their questions, hugging them and letting them know they are truly loved. As Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not turn from it."

I can cherish memories from childhood of my grandparents and parents reading their Bibles, praying at the dinner table, worshiping on Sundays, working together and supporting each other in good times and bad, and generally creating an atmosphere of love and acceptance for their children.

My family had such a strong influence in shaping my life and values. I'm convinced family is the primary shaper of society. If the family is healthy, it will produce healthy people. We can never underestimate the value of family as a strong foundation of our faith and values. It is also the foundation of the USA; a country built on faith and family.

The first dates I put in my calendar are family dates... birthdays, anniversaries, family vacations. I recommend you do the same. Broken homes often lead to broken children.

If you're interested, there is more information about:
The most important event of all time and
The most important Book of all time.

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Rich DeVos is vice-chairman of Gospel Communications. He is also the author of "Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life," co-founder of Amway Corp., and owner and chairman of the NBA's Orlando Magic.