Day 37 – Family First

Wednesday August 29

When I was growing up there was nothing that could make my dad happier than when one of us kids succeeded.  It was far deeper of a joy for him than if he had achieved something himself.

One day I came home filled with excitement because I had studied long and hard for a very difficult exam and I had just received my mark:  I had exceeded even my own hopes and dreams.  I knew my father would be ecstatic and I was filled with delightful anticipation at sharing with him my triumph.

I came in the door and raced up to my dad.   “Papa, I have something wonderful for you”, I exclaimed as I held out my test paper with the score plainly seen.  His eyes filled with pride and delight and he hugged me to him “Son, I’m so proud of you, I knew that you could do it,” he said. 

But his joy did not seem to last long.  As he released me from his embrace, I saw a sadness in his eyes and I felt a heaviness in his heart.  Troubled I headed to the kitchen to where my mom was preparing dinner.

“Mama,” I asked, “what is the matter with Papa?  I came home with this wonderful result on my test and I thought it would make him so happy. And it did, but only for a little while and now he seems so sad.  What is wrong?”

“Honey,” she answered, “your father is very pleased with you and how you did on your exam.  But your brother and sister had a terrible fight today and they are not speaking to one another.  And it’s hard for him to think about or be happy about anything else when there is not harmony in the family”.

Any parent knows that nothing brings greater pleasure to your heart than to see your kids loving one another and walking together in respect and honour.  And there is little that is more painful than to see your kids fighting or hurting or hating one another. Nothing anyone can say or do can take away that pain. 

God is a family man – first and foremost He is a father.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!   1 John 3:1

And as a father, He too finds great pleasure when His family is walking together in harmony.  When he sees this His heart overflows with love and blessing.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133

But as a father, God’s heart is also broken over every division in His family.  Any pleasure He finds in our personal success in life or ministry is muted by the sadness He feels if we are walking in broken fellowship/relationship or with critical or judgmental attitudes towards our brothers and sisters.

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 1 Corinthians 1:10-13

There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4-6

Any kingdom is an expression of the character and nature of the one who rules it. God is love – He doesn’t act loving or speak lovingly – He is love. His very nature and being is the full and complete expression of love.  That’s why love is the ultimate expression and foundational law of His Kingdom.  Everything in the Kingdom operates and flows from love. 

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Galatians 5:14

In the church today, we have placed many other laws higher than the law of love.  But as God seeks to bring His church into a greater alignment with His vision of His kingdom, He will once again establish love as the first law.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-14

True love always means death – death to our own wants and desires.  Even our “good desires”.  If a husband loves Greek food and his wife loves Italian food, when he wants to please her, to show her his love, he doesn't take her for Greek food.  He takes her for Italian because this is what she loves.

God loves family.  So if we truly love Him, then we need to be willing to ask Him to reorder our priorities to become a people who put “family first”.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4:7-11

How do we put family first?   Like Jesus we must be willing to embrace humility and die to our own rights, to lay down even the fulfillment of our own dreams and visions, for the sake of God’s dream – the dream of one family walking in unity and harmony. 

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.  Romans 14:13-21

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Philippians 2:1-8

There is a window of grace open in this season where God desires to release revelation to us that will bring us into greater alignment with His heart and purposes in every area of lives.  If you would like to ask the Lord to establish the law of love firm in the foundation of your life and heart, let’s pray this prayer together. 

God I thank you that love is the very foundation of Your kingdom.  I know that you are love and that when I accepted Christ, the very nature of my inner being has become the nature of love.  God what I desire is that increasingly, day by day, my whole life will become a greater and greater expression of this heart of love.

Father I ask you today to supernaturally fill my heart with a fresh revelation of Your love and heart as a father for Your family, Your body.  Lord, I commit today to a lifestyle of embracing humility to laying down my own rights and even more, my own desires and even visions and dreams, whatever it takes, to see Your dream of a true family, walking in love, established in Your church.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!