I have the best sister-in-law in the world. She is kind and loving to our family. She is always willing to do anything we need. I’ve never seen her angry in all the years I have known her. She is not perfect; she doesn’t claim to be, but she tries to be.
We have been separated by many miles over all the years both of us have been married. We have never had the chance to enjoy each other and our families until about 3 ½ years ago. We moved to be close to them. It was a great decision! We have enjoyed many wonderful times together, times I cherish.
All that I have said about this one member of our family represents the fellowship side of our relationship in the church. God intended that we feel close to one another in our spiritual family.
Last year, our elders and our minister emphasized our congregation’s relationship with one another. Many of our sermons were directed toward the bonding of us one to another. One of the sermons was directed to those who make a hobby of religion. The point was and is, “A hobby is never and can never be first”. These scriptures were given to emphasize our need for our church family to be a true family of God:
- First John 2:3—Keep God’s commandments.
- Galatians 6:10—Do good to all men.
- John 13:14-15—Do what Jesus did.
- Mark 11:26—Forgive others.
- Matthew 28:19-20—Teach others
- First Thessalonians 5:14—Encourage one another
With these things in mind, I think about my sister-in-law. She is always doing for someone else. She does good things for our family, doing like Jesus did. She is a forgiving person, and always has been. She is eager to teach others. She encourages everyone, looking only for the best in everyone.
That’s what God wants us to do in the family of God. If you do it every day to people in your daily life, you will do it to your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you do it in your church family, you will do it to your physical family and those you meet along the way. There is no getting around it.
You will notice that I did not include, “love your enemies”. There is no need. If we do the six things listed above, loving our enemies will be no problem.
Attitude is everything, whether it is toward our physical families, our church families, or the man on the street. Our hearts are the basis of our relationship with the Father. That’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”.
Sandra Oliver