Shiloh Baptist Church

“A balanced man of God sees the Lord as his strength, his refuge, and his shield when things refuse to be resolved.” Stress Fractures, P.149

 It was another one of those days that I left my office totally spent. It had begun like every other day, up at 6 AM, out of the house by 7:45 AM. Early to work and late leaving in comparison to my 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM weekly schedule. This day I left the office later than usual, determined to finish what I had started, in the interest of doing my job well. Even if it meant I was not getting paid for the “overtime.” It was as I was on my way to my car, that I took a few minutes, and took a deep breath, and truly thanked God for having provided a job for me, for equipping me to do the job well, and for getting me through yet another challenging day- and while that was all good I repented that with all that I had accomplished that day, and indeed in the week; I had not done anything for the Kingdom.

I has sent hundreds of emails; answered tens of calls; solved many problems, and written several letters, but what had I done for the Kingdom? I wondered as I reflected on how exhausted I was. I had not shared the Word with anyone. In fact, the Name of Jesus had not come up during my work week at all, beyond “God Bless You!” when someone sneezed, especially considering the pandemic of The Coronavirus.

Two kids are talking one day to each other, and one says, “I’m really worried. My dad works twelve hours a day to give us a nice home and good food. My mom spends the whole day cleaning and cooking for us. I’m worried sick!” The other kid says, “What have you got to worry about? Sounds to me like you’ve got it made!” The first kid says, “What if they try to escape?”

“Family,” defined, is “all the descendants of a common-ancestor; or a “group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit;” or “a group of related things;” “designed to be suitable for all.” And in the family, every member plays an important role, as indicated by the conversation of the two kids above. Every member of the family is important, and every member has something to offer, even if it is in our own best interest. Family relationships are vital because they are a pattern for how we live and relate within the family of God. When we receive God’s salvation, He makes us full sons and daughters by formally adopting us into his spiritual family. We are given the same rights as children born into that family. God did this through Jesus Christ. God created the first family by instituting the marriage between Adam & Eve. “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created” (Genesis 5:2 KJV).

 “Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh; and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:24-25 KJV). Here we learn that marriage, and family is God’s idea, designed and established by Him, the Creator. And the scriptural order of priorities for the family is God, first, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV); Spouse – “Husband’s, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”, (Ephesians 5:2 KJV); Children –  “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth; Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:4, 5 KJV); “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD” (Ephesians 6:4 KJV); Parents, extended family, brothers and sister in Christ, and then the rest of the world. Every family is different in culture, structure, traditions, and size. And in the world today, while very little remains the same, our families are being re-defined by the new norms. Family is different things to different people. To some it is a feeling. To some it is a bond. To some a relationship and to some the entire life. Family can be a group of people or it can be as few as two. Our family can bring out the best and worst in each of us.

 Our family can be the source of our strength, or the bain of our existence. Either way, the result is that we are strengthened in one way or another. But nonetheless, it is the familial relationship that stretches us in ways that we otherwise might not. If we can make it there (in our family) we can make it anywhere. Our family are our harshest critics, and our loudest cheerleaders. Our family cries with us and laughs at us, sometime at the same time. Our family are our burden-lifters, and sometimes our burdens to carry. In the baker’s shop an irate woman burst in and said, “I sent my son in for two pounds of cookies this morning, but when I weighed them there was only one pound. I suggest that you check your scales.” The baker looked at her calmly for a moment and then replied, “Ma’am, I suggest you weigh your son.” The Bible has a lot to say about raising a family. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” (Psalm 127:3 KJV). The Bible has a lot to say about faith in the family. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:11 KJV). The Bible has a lot to say about providing for a family. “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5: 8 KJV). The Bible has a lot to say about unity in the family. “Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive” (Colossians 3:13 ESV). And the Bible has a lot to say about His perfection, and our failure as it relates to our family.

The truth is that God often allows us to fail because it turns out that one of the best ways we learn is from our mistakes. Failure is nothing to fear, but something to gain wisdom from. God loves us and knows we will fight sin all our lives. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check (James 3:2). “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was; but whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:24, 25 KJV). It was the will of the heavenly Father that Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate Son of God, should grow up within a human family environment. Joseph, His father was a carpenter. Mary, His mother, was a young Jewish girl, highly favored. Joseph, no doubt, had trained young Jesus in the carpentry business. He most likely had taught Him the faith of the family through leadership, and by instruction; and Mary, His mother, like any mother, dotted on her Son, at one time not failing to chastise Him, but another time at a wedding, received His reprimand.

What makes a healthy, strong family, you ask? The members of the household who are committed to one another. A healthy family spends time together. A healthy family enjoys open, frequent communication. The healthy family turns inward during times of crises. Members of a healthy family express affirmation and encouragement often. The members of a healthy family share spiritual commitment. “Little Johnny’s baby brother was screaming up a storm. He asked his mom, “Where’d we get him?” His mother replied, “He came from heaven, Johnny.” Johnny responded, “WOW! I can see why they threw him out!” Whether, your personal family, or your extended, spiritual family, Pastor would say, “That’s what Family does!

 Submitted by Deaconess Irene Gardon