Recently I had begun to feel a sense of guilt because
I have a more meaningful bond with my church family than the family that I was
born into. I mentioned it to a dear
friend of mine who reassured me that this is the way it should be. My husband pointed me to Matthew 12:48 where
Jesus is told that his mother and brothers were waiting for him and Jesus’
response was “who is my mother and brothers?”
This shows just how much he loved his disciples and also affirms how
much we should want to be His family, even forsaking our own to be with Him.
So
what do we do when torn between our birth family and our adopted family? We pray that one day they would join us, of
course, and stay steadfast in the Lord! Recently
my wonderful pastor spoke about a relative who mocked him preaching the message
of the cross. I felt his pain as I have
recently had to deal with this same issue.
Unfortunately, those who were close to us before we knew the Lord will
often resent our spiritual growth.
If
you are reading this and you are new to the family of God, please do not be
discouraged when someone makes a “high and mighty” or “holier than thou”
comment. If anyone asks “Who are you to be talking about God all the
time?”, first tell yourself, “I am a child of God, called to do His work, just
a sinner saved by grace” and then if you feel led, tell them.
Once again my
point is to not be discouraged when you make hard decisions to live a godly
life. It is inevitable that many will
not be happy, especially if you don’t focus on them so much. My friend, you were made to focus on
God!
For
those of you who aren't new to the family of God, let this be a reminder that
you may be the only family that a brother or sister in Christ can reach out
to. Be an encouragement to those that
are new to this wonderful family! As for
me, I am eager for this family to grow and see one spectacular wedding! God bless you all!