Who's your family?

In the small portion of the Kingdom of Heaven in which I am a resident, we often discuss the nature of relationships. Sometimes that includes the manner in which we relate to the unsaved, treating them with gentleness and kindness as the oppressed captives of the lies of satan. Other times we discuss our interactions with our enemies, loving them as ourselves. Also, we quite often dwell on the subject of our relationship with our significant others and family. But then the question must be asked, who is our family? Jesus said:

46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁸But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" ⁴⁹And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Matthew 12:46-50 ESV

I fear that the most neglected and undervalued relationship in modern Christianity is that of our adopted family in Christ. We often call each other friends and fellow Christians, but how often do we refer to one another as brothers and sisters. Moreover, when we do, do we truly understand the implications of that statement. When I call you brother, is it merely a word or am I calling you my fellow heir in the riches of our Father with the understanding that my actions and words effect the reputation of our family. When I call you sister, is it merely jargon of our religious affiliation or a deep seated calling to protect your honor?

Perhaps it even goes higher than that. "⁵⁰For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Are we also called to be parents of the less spiritually mature? Paul saids: "¹⁴I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. ¹⁵For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁶I urge you, then, be imitators of me." 1 Corinthians 4:14-16

What awesome goal it is as men to act in a way that says to those who are spiritually juvenile that you love them like a father loves his child. That your there to protect them, teach them by your experience, and when necessary rebuke them out of love. What an awesome goal it is for woman to live in a manner that is overflowing with compassion and and provision for the babes in Christ as a mother has for her children.

We often hear of the blessings of parenthood, that the birth and rearing of a child is one of the greatest joys in all of creation. John Piper says that that joy in comparison to the joy of raising a child of God after being born again into the Spirit is like saying how great your thimble of water is with the whole Pacific Ocean behind you. Don't idolize your thimble, embrace your ocean! We need to see ourselves as a family of God first and foremost above all things, and if we happen to have been blessed by an earthly family just add it to the list of blessings God has provided for us in the shadow of His gift of the cross.

Our First Love

In the week to come the campus christian groups at WVU will be participating in what is know as "Another World is Possible" week. The week seems to focus on domestic and international social justice issues of a variety of sorts. This is a beautiful thing for anyone to get involved in and I pray that all the time, talent, and treasure given this week would be multiplied by God's abundant blessings.

However, a dear friend of mine recently reminded me of what this week used to be titled years ago, that being "Jesus Week". Which leads me to think about the church of Ephesus in what Jesus had to say to them in His Revelation to John that:

^"2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. ³I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. ⁴But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." Rev. 2:2-5 ESV

I pray that in the week to come, and until His return for that matter, that we remember our first true love first and foremost. As we pursue to reveal the social atrocities of this world, may we more importantly pursue to reveal the atrocities we have committed against our God. As we are filled with passion towards the oppressed and dying, may we overflow with passion for the One that saved us from the oppression of sin and the death of eternal punishment. Sacrifices that uplift our fellow man are essential to our Christian walk, but without a proper heart and a repentant soul they are merely vanity. As the Psalmist cries in his prayer of salvation:

^"16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalms 51:16-17 ESV