The Bible word for family is ‘house’ which means a physical building and then refers to all the people in a ‘household’. Household includes all living generations and all in the family such as servants, visitors and animals. It is similar to the traditional extended family of Africa where everyone belonged in family.
Today family life is changing and we need to make a special effort to preserve the strength of the extended family by caring for the relatives in our extended families and including everyone in the life of our families, especially single adults, orphans and widows.
BUT there is a limit to the demands of relatives. In the church family and the human family, people are required to contribute what they can - ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat’