What does it mean to be a member of the family of believers? In Christ, we are blood relatives in a new way, now related to each other by Jesus' blood shed for us rather than the colloquial “blood relative” phrase alone. We live this out as the church today through both the miraculous and the mundane, because that’s what families do.
This family identity is enjoyed in potlucks, praying for each other, celebrating baptisms, holidays, and weddings together, sharing possessions and meeting practical needs. This is “doing life together,” as the trendy Christian catch phrase goes, but I contend there is a depth to this identity rarely explored. Are we acting as family or are we really attending meetings and accomplishing the administrative tasks asked of us? When it comes to living and loving as family, I think we experience moments of delightful sacrificial family life but honestly, overall, probably only scratch the surface of what God intended with that powerful designation.
Caring for seven year-old Shannon last week afforded me a mere peek into the riches of living as a family of believers. Shannon’s parents delivered a precious baby boy and needed someone to take care of Shannon those first few days that leaving the hospital wasn’t an option. On respite in Richmond from their work in China, their local family IS the church. It’s incredibly novel to me, but normal to them. So we played Old Maid, we sat down at the dinner table together, we read Bible stories, we tucked Shannon into bed and got her ready for school. For 48 hours, I learned a little more what it means to live as the family of believers, and I think it made God smile a little bit. It made me smile too :)
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:10
Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.
1 Peter 2:17
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