I had to think a lot about this one. The world that we live in is earnestly attempting to reshape the definition of this word. It is and has been the initial group of relationships between people connected through their genetics.
But the Western World is really trying to change that. People can have children together and not have any level of commitment to each other.
Even when people feel enough affection for each other when the relationship becomes to much sacrifice they or just one decides to end it.
More than that, "family" can be used to label things that are termed as abominable in the Scriptures.
It's really irritating to me because God established the family. His father heart breaks to see so many things that masquerade as family. It goes beyond that though, Love has been undermined. Sin is like the ultimate taboo word. You can't actually tell others that they are wrong for what they do. But we're supposed to, in God's timing and with His words.
I'll keep writing after the jump.
My motivation for voicing this came last week...or maybe the week before.
I was having a rough time with some news that came from back home. The first thing that came was that I just didn't want to be here anymore.
It hit me again how limited the time on Earth that we have and I wanted to get back to the ones I Love.
Well, my commitments down here didn't allow for such things to happen, yet. What did happen was that I got a refreshed vision of the community...the family that I have here.
I wish that the world would come into alignment with the truth and know what the true family of God is. I've always had a sense of family being more than just the biological connection between people.
The family that I've been put into his my foundational set of relationships though. As I've grown it's become more clear how to prioritize them and appreciate them and understand that the best things need to be fought for.
I'm learning it and still have a lot left to learn.
What I know is that God created the family structure both in the physical realm but also in the spiritual. Attacks will come.
It will be difficult.
But nothing that is truly good comes easily.
Family is a hard thing to define
ReplyDeleteIt is a place to belong.
All people serch for belonging.
They search for family.
No families are perfect. All have sin in them.
I think of what Jesus said about Family. That he came to bring a sword and divide family. Children against their parents, and things like that.
I guess to Jesus there is something way more important than family.
His Kingdom. His Glory.
But He promises brothers to those who leave a brother for his sake, and mothers for those who leave a mother for his sake.
The family He invites us into is way larger than me.
Larger than my biological fammily.
It is a family He invites everyone into, but His children don't always let everyone feel welcomed.
His invitation is unconditional.
His children add conditions.
When two who are lonely, who are rejected by His children, cling to eachother in love.
When they sacrifice for eachother,
When they care for eachother,
Then have they not found family?
When they love as Christ loves.
Full of compassion and mercy.
Then have they not found family?
and how can we call that an abomination?
For love is from God.
Many are we called to love.
We are called to love the seemingly unloveable.
We are called to love the least of these.
Loving is difficult.
Family is difficult.
God's family is full of outcasts.
It's a big family to care about.
But with His strength, and His grace, he will give us love for them.
For His glory.
Amen