- Sep 19, 2023
- 3 min read
“Two are better than one, in that their cooperative efforts yield this advantage: if one of them falls, the other will help his partner up — woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. Again, if two people sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one person be warm by himself? Moreover, an attacker may defeat someone who is alone, but two can resist him; and a three-stranded cord is not easily broken” (Kohelet (Ecc) 4:9-12). Community is important for humans. Community is one of the main reasons we are able to survive in this world. God gave humanity the gift of family. His Church expands on that family by making us all family. Our church family should be a better example of the secular family.
I am a Christian, a son, a husband, and a father. I know a little bit about family. I grew up in a family both at my home and in my church. A lot of my church was my literal family as well as my spiritual family. And that meant that I got to know them rather well over the first two decades of my life. That time allowed me to see some of the greatness of spiritual family and some of the worst of spiritual family. And I spent another couple decades reconciling my experience with what I knew about God and His plan.
And I have to admit, I didn’t really know too much about God and His plan after spending my life growing up in church. What I did know is that family can hurt as much as they can heal. And I still see that now in returning to church. The gift of family is a tool of creation or destruction. I have seen family build each other up and tear each other down. I have seen family accept and love one another and reject and hate one another. So, I can very easily see why folks give up on family. BUT God hasn’t given up on family.
Family is essential to God’s plan. He created woman because man shouldn’t be alone. He wants us to be fruitful and multiply. And He reconciles us to Him in a family of believers. Family should be all about love and strength and encouragement and grace and mercy. Family is a great place to foster and nourish the fruit of the Spirit. Too often though, we get too familiar and too accustomed to each other and that leads to contempt and anger and a sinful heart of destruction. BUT it should not be like that for us. Yet, often it is.
Family fails us at times because, ultimately, family is made up of broken humans. BUT we have no other way forward. Too often I give up on God’s plan and look for something better. BUT there is no other plan that is better or perfect. And even though imperfect humans make up a family, family is still our best way forward. And family is only as strong as our forgiveness. “Then Kefa came up and said to him, ‘Rabbi, how often can my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ answered Yeshua, ‘but seventy times seven’”(Mattityahu (Mat) 18:21-22)!
Today I pray that our hearts are forgiving and patient with the imperfection of others and, most importantly, the imperfection of ourselves. Forgiveness is something I need to practice to show love to God and my neighbor.
Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.
Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!
I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!