Family

The word, “family,” means many different things to many different people. For some, the conjured thoughts include sitting around the table with grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. For others, the thoughts of a mom and a dad and a sibling or two come to mind. And for still others, a giant question mark arises; they simply cannot connect with this thought.

I recently was at the home of the grandparents of one of my sons-in-law in Toledo, OH. There around the house were grandmother, papa, dad, a couple of aunts, and some of the great-grand-children. I was reminded of the times when I was a young boy in SC. We would all gather together on a weekend and sing, play the guitars and fiddles, play games, tell stories, and well, … just enjoy one another’s company.

The Bible reminds us that we, too, are members of a household or family. And this certainly extends beyond our blood-relatives. In fact, it extends beyond filial, racial, cultural, and locational boundaries.

Galatians 6:10 NLT reminds us, “ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-- especially to those in the family of faith.”

What this means to us is that we each should be both conscious and mindful to look out for those of our family, both immediate and extended … and Oh, yeah, some of those we may consider unlikely to be family may also be the very ones who are bound to become close to you if given the chance.

So I seek to put a new twist to Galatians 6:10 (Pastor Jim Loose Translation)- “Do good to everyone … because you may never know who is of the family of faith.”