Have you ever seen a person that looked so much like someone that you knew? You are so certain that these two people are related, that you felt that you could confidently ask "Are you related to (enter name here)?" and they would answer "Well as a matter of fact, I am." That happened to me often while growing up. When I was younger, my mother worked at the senior living facility where my great grandmother lived. After school, I would go there to spend time with my great grandmother until my mother's shift ended. A significant portion of my childhood was spent walking the halls of this facility. I volunteered with the activities department and helped with crafts and bingo. I have great memories of hanging out with my great grandmother, and making friends that were usually at least a half century older than I was.
While walking the halls, I would often be stopped by a smiling face asking " Who is your mother?" When I responded with my mother's name, the response was almost always, "I knew it! You look just like your mother." Although I had met several people over the time span of several years, there were still so many that I didn't know. It was often those I hadn't met, that recognized me by looking like my mother, someone I was am so closely related to.
Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth." God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply" Fill the earth and subdue it!"
Genesis 1: 26-28a
God's design is for man and woman to bear the image of God, to have dominion over the earth, and to be fruitful and multiply. The family is to grow and be a representation of God on Earth.
As a result of sin, dysfunction has resulted in families, and this has negatively affected God's design. Fathers and mothers are estranged from their children and siblings are in constant strife. The pain seems to run deeper, when the MVP (most valuable people) in my life are the source.
Family dysfunction can result in loneliness and a desire to isolate, in an effort to prevent future occurrence of pain. The challenge with this coping mechanism is, the walls built to keep people out, are the same ones that keep people from coming in. Waiting at these walls, are well meaning, loving, genuine people, that are assigned to your life to show you real love, God's way.
I hear you....
"You don't understand, my mother did awful things to me!"
"My father was never around!"
"My sister caused the deepest pain imaginable and we don't talk anymore, and I'm perfectly OK with that!"
"My brother!...what brother? After what he did, he doesn't even exist to me!"
"My spouse abandoned me!"
"I don't have anyone, I'm alone in life"
But now that I've listened to you, please listen to me.
God is not caught off guard or found to be without a solution to any problem that life presents. He was aware of the dysfunction that sin would bring into our families and he has provided and answer to our pain. An answer that also serves as the vehicle to move our destiny forward, when the pain of dysfunction, surrounds us like quicksand.
Even if my mother and father abandoned me, the Lord will take me in.
Psalms 27:10
This is good news! If you have experienced abandonment either intentionally or unintentionally, God promises to take you in.
"Great!" you say, "But where will he put me, now that he has me?".....I'm glad you asked.
The God who is in his holy dwelling place is the father of the fatherless and the defender of widows. God places lonely people in families. He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives, but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
Psalms 68:5-6
According to this scripture, God promises to place the lonely with families. To be able to recognize our opportunity for healing, we have to realize that the family He places us in, may be with people we are related to but don't physically look like.
Christ's shed blood, made His spiritual DNA available to all that receive the gift of salvation. With our salvation, we gain a family in Christ.
It is an unfortunate truth that sometimes, members of the family we are born into, are the cause of our pain. However, because we are created for relationship, God will supplement the family that we are related to by blood, with a family that we are related to by the blood of Jesus; when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. As we are healed by His love and grace toward us, we begin to spiritually look like Jesus.
Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you." Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Then He pointed to the 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: 47-50
As a family in Christ, we begin to resemble one another as we live intentionally to resemble Him. We are intentional to live our lives, to look like the one who placed our lonely hearts in a family. We share with others about the room that is available in our family. We share because we have known and experienced the healing love of our father and we want others to know that same love.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another
John 13:35
For Reflection
As a Christian, do I believe I was created in the image of God?
Do I have hurt caused by my biological family that I need to allow God to heal?
Are there opportunities to deepen my relationship with my family in Christ?
Scriptures:
Genesis 1:26-28a
Psalms 27:10
Psalms 68:5-6
Matthew 12:47-50
John 13:35
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