The Family: A New Way to Live
The truth today is that many people are suffering. They face situations that seem insurmountable. They receive diagnoses that bring them to their knees. AND They encounter obstacles that cause them distress and the wringing of hands. Life can be so difficult, even on sunny days.
Here’s one of the most beautiful opportunities found within a congregation of believers in Christ Jesus. The family of God is exactly what it proclaims to be: A Family. When a person gives his heart to Jesus, then he becomes a child of God, and he also becomes a sibling to another who also believes. A Family with all the benefits associated to an earthly family. Ponder that for a moment.
- When a need arises, you now have a sister and a brother to turn to for comfort and relief.
- When a tragedy strikes, you miraculously realize how you do not walk alone but surrounded by others who are there to lend a helping hand or a listening ear.
- When a glorious joy fills your heart, then you have a sibling to tell, who will share the joyful time with you, praising God, with you, for His goodness. &
- When a stressor of life attacks your day, there are others close by who will come to walk beside you, be near you, and pray alongside you, taking the burden to the Lord.
“Bear one another’s burdens,
(The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 6:2 NASB)
and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
There are no ‘Lone Ranger’ Christians, and we should never attempt to do life alone, for we need the Lord Jesus Christ, and we need our brothers and sisters-in-Christ while we walk the face of the earth. We were never meant to carry every burden alone. Jesus Himself reminds us of that repeatedly. Love sometimes looks like another offering you practical help, without expecting to receive something in return. At other times, love looks like another holding your hand as she listens to your heavy concern, without rushing to solve the problem. Love has many images, and inside the church walls, the church of GOD LOVES ONE ANOTHER, just as Jesus demonstrated. In doing so, we help one other, meet needs, listen to each other, pray together, study God’s Word alongside one another, tithe together, worship the Lord side-by-side, and gratefully carry one another’s burdens when necessary.
Today is a new day. Allow a sister or a brother to interrupt your day. Make space for your family. Pray together for the pastor, deacons, and leaders who serve within the church. Go into the community, meeting the needs of those who do not know Jesus—Together. Step out on the mission field, witnessing—Together. Do life—Together, walking with Jesus—Together.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
(The Letter to the Hebrews 10: 23-25 NASB)