February 24, 2012

"The Funny Thing About Family"

Maybe it’s just me, but when you were little did you ever question why you were born into the family you were in? Don’t get me wrong, I loved my family growing up, but there was always hecka people in the house. You try having 11 people in the house with one bathroom and try getting ready for school. There were tons of times when I just wanted to be outside, hang out with friends or stay a night at someone’s house.

However, the older I got the more I realized I wasn’t the only one who wrestled with those thoughts. I mean with the divorce rate in America being about 50% I don’t know if there is even a definition for family in our culture. If we were to be honest I think many of us would not even be able to give a solid definition of what ‘family’ is. What does a dad look like? What does a mom look like? What does it mean to be a brother or sister? What are aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents?

Honestly, the more people I talk to people the more I discover that America is longing for family. So many of us have placed our pursuit of the “American Dream” over the resolve to cherish & pursue family.

The funny thing about family is that many of
us want to run from it,
but we have been created for it.

The older I get the more I long to know my family, grow in the sense of belonging to it and love the family that God has placed me in. I believe that God’s desire is for us to believe for the best for our families, to not just love them from a distance, but to love them the way that Christ does.

I believe that it is time for the body of Christ to rise & believe for the transformational work of the Gospel to begin with us in our homes, no matter how broken they may seem or whether they seem to exist or not. It has to start somewhere, it has to start with someone.

Rather than waiting for your family members to take the first step, allow God to empower you to bridge the gaps!

Far too long Christians have been more spiritual in the church than they have in their homes. Far too long Christians have loved everyone else but their family. Far too long Christians have believed God to restore the gravest of situations, but give up on their family. Far too long Christians have sacrificed their families to see the work of God complete outside their home.

The more I mature in Christ, the more my love for my family increases. Our natural families are meant to be a representation of the family of God, just as our natural fathers are meant to be a physical representation of our heavenly Father. The funny thing about family is that you can't choose it, but God did & there must be a reason for it. It’s time we begin to believe for God to move in our families and it’s time that we put our hands to the plow. It’s time to work through the hurt, to allow God to give us His love for our families.

It’s time to be inconvenienced & be willing to sacrifice our ‘individual’ rights, pursuits & even dreams to see transformation
in our families!

The funny thing about family is that you can’t choose it, but the closer you draw to God
the closer you will want to draw
to your family too!



10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks pop! Your love for your family truly inspires me. Thanks for modeling it.

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks so much bro. Appreciate all your love, encouragement & vulnerability.

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  3. Replies
    1. So glad you were encouraged by the post bro. Appreciate you & know God is using your to love on your family as well. U the man!

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  4. Good stuff and I've heard you've been plowing and planting! They are truly blessed by you!!!

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    1. Thanks Christine. Your love for our family has been such a major encouragement to me, it does not go unnoticed. Glad you were encouraged by the post ;o)

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  5. Man. The day you posted this was the day I preached the Gospel for the first time at my cousin's house, and my uncle got saved!!! I gave an altar call, and the power came down!!! Thank God for this post, because I feel so in sync with God and His purposes for my family. Lessgo!!!!

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    1. That's wut's up bro. God is definitely using you to show His love to your family. Your perseverance, faithfulness & compassion for your family is so encouraging. His word never returns void.

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