They say that a dog’s owner often looks like their dog. I’ve seen a lot of funny pictures where there seems to be some truth to that. Here’s a picture of my dog. No, I’m not going to put a picture of me up. I don’t look anything like her, and I don’t want to hear otherwise. 🙂
It’s fun to go out to public places, watch families go by, and see the family resemblances. The resemblances go beyond physical appearance—you see and hear similar behaviors and speech patterns. You see the bond that families have.
In Mark 3:31-35 we read about who Jesus considers to be His family. His mother and brothers had come looking for Him. When Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were striving to find Him, He stated that those who were doing God’s will were His brother, sister, and mother. That’s powerful for us to consider.
Elsewhere we read that we who have received Jesus have become the children of God (John 1:12). We’re able to cry out “Abba”, “Father”, “Daddy” (Romans 8:15) and we’re in direct relation with one another—having all been baptized by one Spirit, one faith (Ephesians 4:4-6). In becoming God’s children, He gives us a new heart, one that now longs to serve Him, to do His will. No longer is it our natural inclination to run away from Him, but now it’s to do the very will of Him who created us.
Do we value one another in the family of God? Do we really see the miraculous fact that we are now a united family, a body, a spiritual temple? We’re not supposed to disown our own flesh and blood, but there’s now a new bond with others that—I believe—we often treat too lightly.
Jesus died on the cross and rose again to provide the way to redeem His very own, to purchase a Bride for Himself. Maybe we don’t look like each other physically (and you might add, “That’s good!”), but we should desire to do the will of God. How are you treating your new family in Christ? What place or value are you giving it in your time and effort? What’s the balance between church and your natural family?
Jesus seems to give His family—us—high priority. No matter what we might look like. —submitted by Steve DeHaan, US
mike wittmer on February 14, 2011 at 8:28 am
Thank you for this excellent reminder, Steve. I will trust that you don’t look exactly like your dog. I think that at least in America, we sometimes begin to make an idol out of our nuclear families, giving them more importance than our local church family. I think this happens when we cancel Sunday worship services so people can stay home with their families, or when we quickly jump from church to church until we find one that meets our family’s needs. Thanks again for your reminder.