Family of God

Welcome back to the blog! Thanks so much for being here today. I hope you’re all doing well. I know I’ve been doing a lot of posts on faith and Christian lifestyle lately, but hey, that’s what our lives are supposed to be all about! I hope you’ve been able to find encouragement these past few weeks in your relationship with the Lord. And although I may try to be an encouragement to you on the internet, we still need real-life encouragement in our day-to-day lives from our fellow believers. Read on!

If you’re a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and are striving to live for Him, you are a child of God; a part of His family. That means you have brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers all over the world! And quite possibly in your own community, too. However, I think a lot of those of us who call ourselves Christians don’t take that fact to heart and act on what we know and believe. You probably already knew you have brothers and sisters in Christ, but even though you know it, you may not really be living like they’re your family in Him. And to be honest, I’ve been guilty of this very thing myself; knowing someone is my brother or sister, but not treating them like one. But I don’t want to continue in that way of living! Do you?

I know a lot of people haven’t had the chance to experience what family is truly supposed to be like: loving, supportive, safe, nurturing, mentoring, guiding, and there for one another. However, this is what family is supposed to be, and should be a model for what the family of God should look like. I believe that the family of God should be even more than this, though. More encouraging, more supportive, more ready to help, etc. Sadly, I don’t think this is the case often enough. And although I have great family and friends, there have been times I wish I had more examples in my own life of true Christians supporting one another and carrying one another’s burdens and treating each other like intimate brothers and sisters; but then I have to remind myself that the only example I need is Christ alone. No one else is perfect. No one else can do for me what He did for me. He is the best model for me, and I don’t need to watch anyone else to live the way He calls His followers to live. So whether or not you have good role models in your life right now, I urge you to focus on Jesus’ example and your relationship with Him, and maybe then you can be the example someone else in your life longs for!

I think a lot of modern churches, at least in America, put a lot of emphasis on advertising community. And while community is good, it’s not what’s most important. Like I said above, Jesus is all we need. Sometimes we will be all alone in the world, and what we truly need in those times is Him. Community isn’t what saves us. I think so many people just long to be part of community, to feel like they belong, to have real-life socialization in this digital world. And they turn to churches to fill this longing and remedy their loneliness, instead of building a relationship with God first. I think a lot of people go to church to get something out of it; to be blessed; instead of going to bless the Lord and worship Him. But God tells us to seek Him first. When we seek Him, it’s then that He will guide and provide. He knows our needs. He knows our needs better than we know them. We may think we know what we need, but He knows better. So before seeking community, seek the Lord.

I’m not convinced that these churches are all even living out what they promote on their internet pages and sites and church signs. They may advertise community and a sense of belonging, but are they really reaching out to the people who walk in the doors on a Sunday morning? Are the leaders or regulars greeting the newcomers and making them feel welcome and at home? Are the regular attendees reaching out to one another, getting to know one another, and lifting each other up? Is this so-called community trying to meet the needs of others on a personal level, or only offering resources and programs to help meet the needs? Are the people who make up the congregation making hospital visits or cooking for the new mother, or expecting the pastor and his family to do it all? I know I have visited churches/youth groups with friends where I haven’t been greeted or spoken to. When I think of what it would’ve been like if I weren’t already a believer, if I were someone new to church or Christianity, it saddens me. That could’ve been my first time inside a church for all they know, and I wasn’t really ministered to on a personal level or felt welcomed with open arms. My family has also moved away from church congregations before and only a few of the people we used to know and love have stayed connected with us or reach out to us to check on us. (Of course this can go both ways, and like I said above, I’m just as guilty as anyone else!) The family of God is supposed to look like something non-believers want to be a part of, but if we’re not even treating one another the way God’s taught us to, why would anyone want to become part of the family?

I believe that we’re meant to treat all believers like family. Not just the people you’ve gone to church with all your life. Not just the people that are a part of the Christian organization you work or volunteer at. All of them. The new neighbor who follows Christ. The coworker who follows Christ. The person you meet on vacation who follows Christ. The person who goes to the other church in your town who follows Christ. If we’re all following Christ, we have something in common. We should be able to feel comforted by meeting a fellow follower of Christ. They’re our brother. Our sister. A like-minded person. A part of our family. We’re related by the blood of Christ, the head of the family. Think of the “good Samaritan.” Or Boaz. The early church written about in Acts. The people Paul greets in his letters. They treated others right. They served. Not to gain anything for themselves. They were obedient to God, and had true love in their hearts. They’re the ones who made a difference in the world. Whose names were mentioned and stories told in the Bible.

As I said and say often, none of us are perfect. I know I struggle with certain things that make it hard for me to reach out to others and connect with people in person, and I know I’m not the only one who has struggles that make it difficult to reach out in certain ways. We’re all blessed with different gifts and talents. I believe one of mine is writing, so although I may not always have been one to converse with my fellow church-goers on a Sunday morning growing up, for example, I may have written them a note and sent it in the mail for them on occasion, or something similar to that. And although we’ll never be perfect, we still have to try, to do what we can, and to do our best. There is always room for improvement!

If you claim to know and follow the Lord, please take time for your fellow believers this week. Pray with them, find out how to help meet their needs, greet them in the store and in the lobby of your church, call them, encourage them, walk with them, carry their burdens, treat them the way you want to be treated, hug them, gently admonish them when you see them continuing in sin, hold their hand, comfort them, be there for them. Go out of your way to help them. Love is sacrifice. If we can’t love our family, how are we going to love the lost?

“And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12:49-50

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

Romans 12:10-13

“Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

1 Timothy 5:1-2