I have been thinking about family a lot today. My family, extended family, church family, my friend's families, and it occurred to me that the Bible does not tell us a whole lot about Jesus and His family. We know who His family is, we know some of the interactions between them, but there is that gap of 20 some years of Jesus growing up, maturing, and family.
It is easy to observe my family and notice the faults, because it's my family. I am sure everyone can relate to this. So many other families seeeeeem to have it together, and then you wonder what's wrong with mine? Everyone has their flavors of dysfunctional right? But we all want our family to be that family. You know, the one that has family reunions, and loves spending time together and they get along for the most part and eats meals together, and...well you get the idea. So now we are all thinking again...what's wrong with my family? And not just your immediate biological family.
Consider your church family, and think of the diversity. There are some really hokey people in the church, can I get a witness? Yeeeeah! And I think to myself, I would never talk to or spend time with this person if we did not go to the same church...but we do...brothers and sisters in Christ right? And there are people that don't get along and there is conflict and there are divorces and separations and enough sin to dam us all to hell 10 times over...and our biological family has the same flavors of dysfunctional.
I wonder how we would rate Jesus' family? I can imagine there were times when Mary and Joseph were those parents that everyone complains about how they are disillusioned to think their child can do no wrong, and you want to shake'em and say "Open your eyes! Your kid is not perfect!" and then it would occur to them, "oh yeah, their son really can do no wrong...crap" It would be sooooooo much worse with Mary and Joseph...you can't go there. There had to be some resentment in that church : ]
But the root of my thoughts comes out of a desire for my family to be more like a family. And like so many things in our short lives, I believe it has much to do with attitude. Here's a list of attitudes, and ask yourself, when I act and speak and feel this way, how does that affect my family?
Resentment
Anger
Bitterness
Annoyed
Entitlement (I deserve this)
Pride
Arrogance
Laziness
Stubbornness
Apathy
How about...
Patient
Compassion
Sacrificial
Empathetic
Servant leadership
I see it all in my family, often given and received without balance. But I wonder fundamentally how my family would function if each individual approached every day with an attitude of, "I want to be more like Jesus Christ. I want to know His words intimately, I want to know His heart deeply, deeeeeply.......and the days I don't feel like it and don't want to...I want to want Christ more."
Instead of examining the dysfunctions and trying to manage and change behavior, why don't we seek and transformed heart? A transformed heart that will transform every other part of life, that will transform our family. There are so many days I know it is easier to avoid the hard work of investing in family. I can work hard on most anything else, but it's totally different when it comes to relationships.
"Do not conform to the ways of this world(insert dysfunctions and selfish attitudes here), but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
Time is running out...
