What is Family?

We love our family. Of course, there are times when we disagree with one another, or become disappointed in our loved ones. But when the family bond is strong, the love never ends. My brothers and sisters in Christ—do we ever stop to think about the significance of being "brothers" and "sisters" in Christ? We are family!

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a large number of family members that I had never met before. As a result, my perception of my family tree suddenly grew exponentially! Not only was I overjoyed to find these long lost relatives—I realized that in an instant, my heart was full of love and appreciation for each and every one of them.

At one point, I had to stop and ask myself: Was the love simply built on the premise of sharing the same last name? Was I genetically predisposed to love these people? Or was it simply the joy that comes with being part of a family?

This really got me to thinking…what if that notion of family was applied to other areas in my life? Take for example, my church family. Do I tell them I love them enough? Do they understand that I appreciate each of them for the talents, strengths, and fellowship that they bring to our place of worship?

And then it extended even farther. What about my work family? Or my community family? Aren’t we all connected in a special way, as well? If I thought of my neighbor as truly my sister or my brother, would I be a little friendlier and more thoughtful toward them? What if my neighbor thought likewise of me?

I really started getting excited about this thing, and then I realized—DUH!—that’s what God has been trying to tell us all along! Matthew 25:34–40 tells of the day that Jesus returns and gathers those who belong to Him. As He calls them, He mentions that they were faithful in showing their love to Him. How? By loving others! God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that WE may be part of the inheritance of His kingdom.

I’m so honored to be part of the family of God and I want to show it with a loving spirit toward all of God’s children!