Wednesday, July 2, 2025
“How blessed
is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ,
and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down
earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his
love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt
us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning
this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by
the hand of his beloved Son.” (Ephesians 1: 5 - 6, The Message Bible)
But one thing is for sure, we are grateful
beyond measure for all the help that our family has poured into helping us make
this move. We could not have done this without them. Our four adult children
and their spouses and partners all pitched in. Katie and Gary were the key
leaders but everyone helped us in making this major transition. Even some of
the grandchildren kicked in. They gave up several weekends to help empty the house
of all the stuff and junk we had accumulated over twenty years of living in Peterborough.
They made umpteen trips to Value Village and the Re-Store with unneeded household
items. They filled dumpsters. They made trips to the dump. They cleaned and
scoured. My brother asked me how we got the good kids. All I can say is that
family has been one of the most important key values that we have always tried to
instill in our children. Apparently, it caught. We reap what we sow and we are proud
of them and very, very thankful.
“May our sons flourish in their youth
like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved
to beautify a palace.” (Psalm 144:12, New Living Translation)
Our Ephesian’s text reminds us that
we are God’s Family through Jesus Christ. Paul expands on this elsewhere in his
letters. “Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own
children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’”
(Romans 8:15) I recognize that there are many people, especially women,
who have had terrible and painful experiences of fatherhood and family. I can only hope that the loving experience of
being in God’s family might heal, transform and transcend those memories. But that means we all have to pitch in and help
one another in the process, responsibilities and support of what it means to be
part of God’s Family. “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we
should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians
6:10)
Being in God’s Family calls for the
best in us. Jesus once said that family is more than blood ties but we are joined
together through faith and the fruit of our faith. “Then he pointed to his
disciples and said, ‘Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does
the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!’” (Matthew
12: 48 - 50) Family is the fruit of our love for one another. It is more than a
shallow token idea about Church. It is in the very fibre of our being in
fellowship with open another. For it to be
a reality, we need to intentionally practice the soul of what it means to be
God’s Family. “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for
us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1
John 3:16) That is not just mere hyperbole or foolishness; it is how we work,
play, worship, pray and enjoy life together as if our lives depended on each
other.
“My response is to get down on my
knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and
earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a
glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and
invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll
be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of
Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the
depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”
(Ephesians 3: 14 -15, The Message Bible)
Dale
