You Are Part of the Family
...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:15-16
You may not be aware, but one of the most significant provisions God has given to you is a spiritual family. It doesn't matter what kind of natural family we were born into; when we ask Jesus into our lives, we are born into a new family. God is now our Abba Father – our "daddy."
Having a church family has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. Time and time again, they have been there to pray for me, to give a hug when I need it, to give a word of encouragement, or to help out financially when things were really tight. They were there to help celebrate the births of my children and have brought comfort through the passing of a loved one. I'm telling you, my church family, through the years, has been a true extension of God's provision in my life.
Some of you might be thinking, "yeah, I tried that church thing, or even went for years, and didn't get anything but hurt." I understand. I have been hurt too, and have had plenty of opportunities to be offended. I'm sure I have offended other people as well because that's what happens in a family. Because you are close, there will be disagreements. It's how you choose to react when someone does or says something hurtful to you that matters.
You see, the Bible says that the devil is roaming around like a lion just looking for his next prey. Time and time again, he uses offense or busyness to get us to disengage from the body of Christ. However, Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
God provided a family to be a part of – to share your gifts with and be taken care of. It is a tangible provision and blessing from God. If you haven't been to church lately, I encourage you to go and get involved with what the Lord is doing in your local church.
Dear Lord, thank you for providing a church family to help me, support me, and teach me more about You. I pray for my pastor(s) and ask you to give them wisdom each day. Amen.
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