[460 words]
Being in a family is sometimes hard. Loving your family is sometimes harder. The Bible teaches that each of us that have become Christians have a new Father, a Father that is perfect and loves us. When we all have the same loving Father that makes us family. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1,2). When we strive to know God the Father we will grow to be like Him, and as we each grow to be like God we will be more like each other. When we are true children of God each of us will show God’s love to each other and we will be the true family of God.
Paul described what true love put into action should be like to the Christians in the church at Rome. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:9-18). When we treat each other the way scripture teaches us to we become the true family of God. True love means taking an active interest in the lives of those who are in your family. Love is a decision to act in accordance with the will of God.
Being a family means loving each other and making a life together. We don’t have perfect people in our family but that doesn’t mean we don’t love them. I just need to remember I’m in that family and I’m not a perfect person either. We are all growing into that person that God wants us to be. Let us be a patient loving family.
Brad Tolbert
Monticello church of Christ
Monticello, AR