We Are Family!
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘<Jesus said,> “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”’ (Mark 10:9)
Having been away for a couple of weeks visiting our son’s family and other relatives, while it is always good to see our kids we also miss our routine, which includes seeing our church family and our Life Group. While we attended a couple of churches, they were not ‘our’ church, and the people while welcoming and friendly were not ‘our’ people. This is not to belittle or begrudge them, it was a pleasure being in their circle if only for a day (and we’ll be with them in the bigger circle of Eternity with the Lord). It just wasn’t ‘home’ to us that we yearned for. It is good for people to have a home base to go back to.
Jesus said this in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, that they should never divorce but work through their issues and stay together as a family, for the family. We can, however, take this to the level of the family of followers of Christ. Like a marriage, when we accept Jesus we are joined not only with Him but the Church, our brothers and sisters in Jesus that comprise it. As a member of that family, we should care for each other and love one another as ‘blood’ brothers and sisters typically do.
Much like Jesus, who had His disciples, then closer to Him His Apostles, then closest to Him was Peter, John and James; we have similar relationships within the Church. I love my fellow Christians, but feel close to those of MBC, and even closer to those of us comprising Monday Night Life. For obvious reasons (like sharing the bank accounts, and the bills), I am closest to Shirley as she is my bride, but I also love each of you as my family members. The bonds we have are through the Holy Spirit, and are stronger than those of the flesh and blood. In a sense, Jesus provided both his Spirit and flesh to bind us together and with Him.
We can disagree, and on occasion we may rub each other the wrong way; a comment or a slight can be the start of a dissenting spirit within a church or a life group. But God does not want to separate Spiritually, but be together in unity. We may not always agree on Earthly matters 100% of the time, but we should always agree Spiritually together and with Christ. Forgive that which rubs the wrong way, and focus on that which rubs the right way. Sister Sledge and the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates had it right, “We Are Family”….
