Devotional for 8/3/14
written by Jan Andersen
We all belong to families. We have our biological families. But we also belong to groups of people we can call families but who are not actually related to us. Sometimes we choose special people in our lives to be included in our families. Some families are formed by surrogates actively chosen or others who have been adopted. Support groups can be considered another type of family. There are church families, both in local churches or groups as well as in larger categories, denominations, etc. Sometimes families formed through friendships feel even closer than biological families.
No family is perfect. Some families just have small spats now and then which blow over quickly. Other families have major divisions, or sometimes people cut themselves off from the rest of their family, or some families even disown a member of their own. There may be some with poor personal boundaries, manipulative behaviors, or abusive relationships. These things can happen in biological families or in the other groups we call families. As human beings, we are all a part of dysfunctional families.
Our biggest and best family is the family of God. We have all been chosen by God to be a part of his intimate family. Adam and Eve were the first family, created by God. Then sin entered the world with their disobedience to God's commands. This caused a complete break in the relationship with God - major dysfunction! But God forgave them and provided a bridge over that divide through the promise to send a Savior. He does the same every day for all of us. He forgives our disobedience and restores our family relationship with him through his son, Jesus Christ.
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:11 (NIV)
written by Jan Andersen
What you have written is a great interpretation of who families of all kinds are to each other, Jan. I was one who felt privileged to be accepted into your biological family this weekend when so many of you gathered at your family reunion. Because most of you were unknown to me until then I was much an observer seeing in a new way the love of a family that would travel from afar to gather and love on each other.
ReplyDeleteLucky me! I became a different kind of "member" of your wonderful family and will remain such in my heart from now on. God is good when he gives us occasions like this that as members of His family we can join into a family that is also a member of His family as well...and after all in His kingdom we are all related as family already.
God bless...
We are happy to have "adopted" you into our family this weekend! Just like God has adopted us all into his faithful family. It was good to finally meet you in person :)
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