Articles
Our Spiritual Family
“Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.’ Answering them, He said, ‘Who are My mother and My brothers?’ Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother’” (Mark 3:31-35).
When we are reconciled to God in Christ we are also joined in association with others who are in His fellowship. It is “the household of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). It is a spiritual family.
The reality is that we are often closer to our spiritual family than to our physical one, at least in some ways.
One reason is geographic. Many families are spread out all over the country. In my adult life I have never lived in the same state as my sister and only briefly close to my brother. That means I spend a lot more time with spiritual brothers and sisters, and that naturally builds bonds.
Another factor is that physical families are frequently divided over religion. Jesus warned that it would be this way: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Because our service to the Lord is the most important thing in life, it is natural for us to grow closer to those who share that outlook and be somewhat distanced from those who do not, regardless of biological connections.
Jesus promised, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
What a blessing our spiritual family is! It gives us brethren who will come to our aid: materially (e.g., Acts 2, 6), physically, emotionally, etc., any time of the day or night. It gives us brethren who can instruct us (Ephesians 4:11-13), brethren who can advise us (cf. Psalm 1:1), brethren who are watching for our souls (Hebrews 12:15).
Thank God for such a rich blessing. Do all you can to make the local church family the best it can be.
