Today we looked at the subject of our identity as God’s family, reminding ourselves of the Sister Sledge song that proclaims, ‘We are family!’ (See 1 Pet 2:17)
Family is God’s idea. It was not good for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18) and so God gave Adam a companion, and from this relationship came children. A man and a woman make a covenant commitment to each other, and from the security of this commitment explore sexual intimacy which results in children. This is often called ‘the nuclear family’, with the extended family exploring other relationships formed by blood ties: grandparents, great-grandparents, aunties, uncles, nephews, nieces, brothers, sisters, cousins and so on. Nowadays, families can look a lot more complicated than this, with divorce and remarriage and different sexual relationships altering the appearance of family, but in its basic God-given form, a family is a group of people joined together by commitment and blood ties.
When we become Christians, we are born again into God’s family. Family teaches us how to live alongside other people, often people who are very different to us. It teaches us to love without ceasing and to forgive endlessly. It teaches us commitment and perseverance. The more we can learn from God’s view of families and see ourselves as part of God’s family, the better equipped we are to live life as He wants it to be lived.
Family life, however, is often difficult! – and the Bible makes this very clear. Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. (Gen 4:1-14) Abraham, our father in faith, ended up in a very tangled relationship, having sons by two different women and facing intense jealousy and division, leading to the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. (Gen 16). Rebekah’s favouritism of Jacob over Esau led to problems between these siblings (Gen 27-28); Jacob’s relationship with Leah and her sister Rachel led to jealousy and constant strife among their children (Gen 30-31). Judah’s family life was marred by scandal, including the death of his children and an illicit relationship with his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Gen 38). David’s reign was marked by infidelity with Bathsheba and a broken family dynamic which resulted in the murder of some sons and his son, Absalom, turning against him entirely. (2 Sam 11 onwards.) The problems we face today in our family relationships – jealousy, favouritism, parental expectations, poor parenting, selfishness and different personalities – arise because of sin and we need God’s help in both our natural families and our church family.
Spiritual growth comes as we allow God’s Holy Spirit to grow His fruit in us (Gal 5:22-23) and to develop our family resemblance to Jesus. God uses the church to help us grow in love (see 1 John 3), in acceptance (Rom 15:7) and forgiveness (Eph 4:32). Discipline and correction will be needed at times, but God wants us to live together in unity and blessing. (Ps 133) May we be committed to this family of God and allow God’s Holy Spirit to shape us and mould us into the image of Christ, growing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives so that we can live together in harmony and unity for God’s glory and praise.