Family

Colossians 3. A great passage I read with my friend the other day. The first half is great, but for us, the Holy Spirit engrossed us in the back half.

Firstly, verses 18 to 21. "It's just a bunch of stuff to do!" you say. "Nothing encouraging in there" you say. Well, I see it differently. Let's take a closer look at verse 20.

"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."

Look! The first word. "Children". Paul is talking to me! He is talking directly to the kids in the Colossian church. The whole sequence, "Wives" , "Husbands" , "Children" , "Fathers" is one of a family unit. I think that is just great.

Great, because church, even at its beginnings was a family affair. All over the New Testament it talks of the gathering together of Christians. Brothers and sisters, united in Christ. I took that as an only spiritual familyhood until now. Christians are attending church as a family; encouraging, inspiring, and challenging each other. I've been learning that God's love breaks barriers, and this is another example. Imagine a non-Christian household where a younger brother can rebuke his older brother! Very rare. But in a Christian church, that is what we are called to do.

Now, if you look at what he says to each of the groups, you notice another great thing. His words are different for each member. Reading behind the lines you see that Paul is recognising the different roles we have in our family unit. Paul could have just said, "Christian families, love each other" and leave us to figure out how, but he doesn't. By being specific, he is making a statement that family members are complementary, and that our differences are part of God's plan.

My friend and I spent over 20 minutes on those 4 verses, but I'm glad we did. It showed me how families are another one of God's gifts that I would never have thought to ask for, but am blessed with anyway.

To end with, Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters". I'm sure I can let you discover the riches in that verses for yourself. So dig in!

A family of hypocrites

They know you the best; what makes you tick and what gets you worked up; you can be yourself around them; and they give you a chance to rest from putting on that "I am all right" face in society. I am talking about your family.

Image from Hoefi

Thankfully, I was blessed with a family that tolerates me as who I am. I cannot fathom the difficulty if I had to act sociably acceptable everywhere. I often let myself go at home knowing that none of my family will judge me, that they will understand. It's a cruel wor

ld, with society assuming the worst with whatever action you take. A little tear becomes a nervous breakdown, a short comment to self perceived as the first sign of madness, and a louder than normal laugh is turned into a disgraceful act of losing control. At home, it is different. With years of experience in understanding just me, my family does not distort the information, but takes it as part of me. Everyone is unique, right?

I am aware that many families do not work this way. With child abuse and neglect, the family can seem the place where your life is most tested, instead of being a break. However, there is another family that we have. A family based on a perfect father, who loves his children dearly, never letting them out of his sight. It is the church family.

Many visitors to my church are surprised to see how informal and friendly everyone is. Compared to the media's presentation, the church does actually feel like a real family. People are supporting each other in trials, rejoicing together in joy, and sharing their lives together. Most importantly, they accept each others faults and personality traits, and work on them together.

As I once heard "The church isn't full of hypocrites, there's still room for more!". The church family is one that looks at each other and says, "We BOTH are sinful aren't we", and together seeks to bring Jesus closer into their lives.