We are all family oriented. If our childhood family experiences were positive, most of us adapted to adulthood without major psychological or emotional issues. If childhood experiences were negative, many of us feel we missed out on what we should have had.
Everyone wants to be part of a caring, nurturing family.
When we have a family of our own, we make a choice. We can duplicate what was modeled before us as children, good or bad, or we can use those examples as a springboard and modify our own behavior to become the spouse and parents we think we should be.
Family members have an incredible amount of influence on our lives. Even now as a grandmother, comments my father, mother or sister said when I was younger keep ringing in my ears. It is my responsibility to sort through them. Some of those comments were good advice. Some were not.
God is all about family. He created the first family and gives guidelines in His word about how to relate to and show love to family members. He identifies Himself as our heavenly Father and Jesus calls Himself our brother. All followers of Christ are part of His family.
So, my family members include those with a common DNA as well as those who share in my trust in Jesus Christ as Savior.
For several years, I have been a penpal with someone in another nation. We have exchanged emails, letters, gifts and pictures, but we have never met face to face. I know I will someday meet her because we belong (as she put it) to an international family. If we do not meet this side of Heaven, we will meet there.
My family also spans the ages. Every child of God is part of my family. One day, I will have the opportunity to speak with Abraham, Moses, Elijah and David. I am looking forward to visiting with Mary, the mother of Jesus. I want to meet Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Andrew Murray, C.S. Lewis, Betsy and Corrie ten Boom and A.W. Tozer. I know I will have the chance because they are all my brothers and sisters.
God really is all about family – earthly and eternal.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13). Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! (1 John 3:1).
One Focus Ministries 