All in Family

Discussing false god’s and graven images in church is a favorite topic because it is a natural tendency of man to place various things above God as we move through our lives. One of the favorite topics of every preacher is money, or gold, but there are so many others. One of them is a nearly sacred topic, and we are often remiss in discussing it... family. We love our spouses, children, and families dearly, but do we allow them to encourage our faith in God, or to discourage it? Does our love of family become a god to us?

Are you happy? By this I mean are you confident with your life to the point of being blissful and happy without nary a care, or unfulfilled desire... like a child whose parent loves and cares for them perfectly? Do you think this is even possible? Well, in God and Jesus Christ it is more than possible, but you must give all your cares over to God, and place all your desire in Jesus... knowing you are Theirs like family, and that They will watch over you.

What is your name; what are you called? On physical earth you have a sir name, but what is your spiritual name, your name of faith? Are you called Godly, Christian, Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox, Pastor, Reverend, Father, Bishop, some other name of faith, or are you simply unknown? Let’s shorten this question... are you called by the name of God, or not? Names can indicate a nationality, a race, a tribe, or a family, but eventually they give an indication as to who your father is. So, who is your spiritual father?

As a believer we are set apart for God’s use, but what about our spouse, and our children? Does God have a plan for them, and does it involve us? Well, whenever something is made holy, God has a purpose and a plan for it. This is true of us as well, and especially includes our role as it pertains to an unbelieving spouse... and our children. The holiness with which we are painted, paints our families with the same color so that we will all be covered by it, and thus we bring the hope of our faith into the household. Salvation enters boldly with us through the front door.

Over the past few days many of you have prayed for me as I have battled to throw off the head and chest cold I have been suffering with, but today I wish to pray for you, and ask that you join me by praying for me and those around you. My prayer today is not for your physical body, but rather for your spirit and faith. Have you ever prayed such a prayer? If you haven’t then you are missing the greatest opportunity in prayer... to pray for the will of God to be manifest in all its power within another person.

What shape is your home in? I am not talking about the condition of the physical house you live in, but rather the spiritual roof you and your family live under. Are you providing a sound structure of faith that will shelter and protect you and your family for generations to come? As parents we must first look after our own faith and salvation, but then we must provide an example and instruction for our children. What shape is your spiritual house in today?

Living our lives with Jesus is more than attaching a series of disjointed moments that have been separated by periods of time in which He is absent into something we call faith. God is never here and then gone, but with us always and in all things. Our Lord Jesus doesn't abandon us to our own devices only to return once we have screwed things up... He is with us always.