Bloom Where You Are Planted

Bloom Where You Are Planted

5:43

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it,” Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, NIV‬‬.

Who are the most difficult people to love? Strangers? Those with whom you don't along? Those who argue with you, non-stop?

Sometimes these people are all the same, family.

But alas families have unbreakable bonds. You can move to another state, but you can’t run away from your DNA.

I think families are what teach us some of the most important lessons to learn. Things like: “I’m sorry, will you forgive me?” “I love you.” “Do you want some of mine?” “May I borrow that…?” And then maybe back to, "I’m sorry."

The Bible teaches us that when we decide to become children of God, we enter into His family. With all the same responsibilities as with our birth families. Yet, instead of our shared DNA, we share the Spirit of God.

This doesn’t exempt us from figuring out how to live with these strangers, and new friends within the family of God. We are to love them. Wrestle with forgiveness, misunderstandings and ready ourselves to stand shoulder to shoulder during our spiritual battles. We have all been adopted into God’s family, and He has asked us to love each other.

So, using all the skills we gained from our nucleus families, we apply here to God’s family. If we made a mess of things with those, we share DNA, maybe God’s family can train us in how to love our birth family better.

We are commanded to keep on loving. We are not to give up. Yes, there will be days in which we request a time out. Yet, when we have gathered our joy back, we return to loving others well. This is what family does. We aren't to try to control family, but we do need to apply self-control to ourselves in order to serve each other well.

If you are attending a church where personalities drive you crazy, yet you believe God led you to said church—your job, as is mine, is to continue pressing on with courage. Not church hop. We leave churches when the teaching becomes unbiblical. We don’t leave churches because we see others as unbiblical. We are all sinners, not just the person to your right, or in your mirror.

The whole point of the church is to grow together in unity. That means there will be things that are broken and in need of fixing. We are in a family and that helps us repair relationships. Our job is to share the love of our Father with others and grow God's family to build up His kingdom--our future home.

We literally are the family of God.

Are you ready for the challenges and victories that this journey offers? Hope so.

(Feel free to comment below)

Father,

You are a good Father. You love us all the same. You have no favorites, minus one—Your Son Jesus. Your rightful Son who shares Your DNA. Your Son, who is the Lamb of God.

Thank You, because of Jesus, we were all invited to enter into Your family, Your kingdom, as heirs. Undeserved heirs, but ones who will receive all the rights and privileges therein.

Thank You.

Forgive us when we treat our family poorly. When we gossip about them behind their backs, when we become jealous and greedy. Help us to love like Jesus—Your humble servant. He has shown us what Your kingdom family needs to look like.

Help us to imitate Him authentically.

We love You, Father. You are a good Father.

Amen.