“God is the One who made all things, and all things are
for His glory. He wanted to have many children share His glory…” (Heb.
2:10a NCV)
Last month we discussed mankind’s primary purpose: to
glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This month we’ll discuss how we can glorify
God as a part of the family.
Rick Warren said, “God wants a family, and He created you
to be a part of it...The entire Bible is the story of God building a family who
will love Him, honor Him, and reign with Him forever”- (Purpose Driven Life, p.
117). “...As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and
I will be their God, and they will be My people...I will be a Father to you,
and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor.
6:16, 18).
God wants to bless us with families. Some of us have
awesome families as one writer explained “A family shares things like dreams,
hopes, possessions, memories, smiles, frowns, and gladness...A family is a clan
held together with the glue of love and the cement of mutual respect. A family
is shelter from the storm, a friendly port when the waves of life become too
wild. No person is ever alone who is a member of a family” (Rudyard Kipling).
Unfortunately, some of us have not been blessed with the
greatest of families. Even the best of families struggle with the temporary
nature of this life, heartaches and great pain. For some of us, our families
have been plagued with abuse, neglect, divorce, anger, bitterness, and/or other
hurts. Some may feel the same about the church. However, if this is your reason
for not being involved with the church then your faith was in people and not in
God.
God’s family is different than biological families. Apart
from choosing a spouse, we have little choice in who our family members are.
However, the family of God is all about a choice! God has chosen us to be a
part of His family even when we were far from Him (Rom. 5:8). The invitation to be part of God’s family is
universal, but there is one condition: faith in Jesus. “You are all children of
God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26 NLT).
Are you a part of God’s family? As a part of God’s family
through faith, God wants to heal your hurts and bless your life with His
purpose. Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My
brother and sister and mother” (Matt. 12:50).Doing the will of the Father gives
our lives great purpose and meaning.
The will of the Father includes transforming our minds to
His way instead of the way of the world (Rom. 12:2). It is about growing to be
more like Jesus (Rom. 8:29). It is God’s will that we have an attitude of
gratitude (1 Thess. 5:18). And to enjoy
fellowship with other believers, the family of God (Rom. 15:32).
The Apostle Paul says “...I want you to know how
people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church of
the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15 GW).
This means church is not something you go to. Church is something
you belong to. We are the family of God.
A family has multiple members who fulfill various roles:
father, mother, son, daughter, etc. Likewise, the family of God has various
roles pointing to their purpose (Rom. 12:4-7). Thus, a person who claims to be
a Christian yet does not have a church home is like an organ without a body, a
sheep without a flock, or a child without a family. Again I ask, are you a part
of the family of God?
Within the family of God (aka the church), we find our
purpose of encouraging others, helping people to grow in their walk with the
Lord and sharing in the mission that God has called us to. Therefore, as you
seek to fulfill your God ordained purpose in life, I encourage you to become a
part of God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ and take an active role in
the family, the church.
In His service,
Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment