In John 1:12, the Bible says that those who receive Jesus Christ as the Savior and the Lord of their lives and, therefore, believe in His name, are given the right to become children of God. Not only that, as children of God, we are inserted into the family of God. Ephesians 2:19 says that as children of God, we are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, the foundation, the model to be followed.
The idea of family reminds us of two things. First is the notion of closeness. The members of a household should live closely to each other. There should be a sense of community and fellowship. As Christians, we should enjoy the company of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We should enjoy going to church and serving our fellow Family of God. We should enjoy the interaction.
For sure, there is a variety of personalities in a place where there is a variety of people. However, this should not discourage us, on the contrary. We can grow and develop ourselves when confronted or dealing with different types of people. Proverbs 27:17 says: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. People sharpen people! It is amazing when we get to walk with people we share similar personalities with. However, the real challenge resides in dealing with those totally different from us. For sure, you can also be confronted by people from your family, from your workplace or from your school (for instance, in any place in which we have to deal with people, we will be confronted somehow); however, what a better place to be sharpened and to be developed than the church, under the guidance of the Word of God! We should be excited to have such a great environment to grow and to be counseled.
Speaking of being advised, in the local church we can be pastored. Pastors receive a divine calling to serve the Body of Christ, leading the flock with knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3:15), from the Word of God. As sheep, we need a pastor! We need guidance! We need someone who is going to be willing to listen, to instruct and to correct us when necessary. And there is a divine and special anointing enabling pastors to fulfill this calling! In the animal world, sheep without shepherds are prone to lose direction and to get killed by predators.
In the spiritual world, God compares us to sheep that need guidance, in order to find our direction and to not be confused or discouraged by earthly pleasures. This is so important that in Matthew 9:36, we see Jesus being moved with compassion upon seeing multitudes walking faintly and distressed, “as sheep without a shepherd”. For sure, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are available to advise us if we let them; however, we also need pastors to help us to find our right place in the Body.
The second aspect the idea of family brings us is the notion of sharing things in common. Members of a family share things in common. They share common interests, for example. The same happens to the Family of God! As we share a passion for the Word and for God. We share the same desire to follow God’s principles and to be light for this world. That is what should move all sons and daughters of God.
Matthew 5:14-16 says that we are the light of the world. A light that cannot be hidden. We should share the same motivation of letting our light shine before others; so that people may see our good deeds and they will glorify our Father in heaven. We should also despise the idea of giving in to earthly fleshly desires, having deeply rooted in us the mission of shining the glory of God through our lives.
Sharing the same motivation will contribute to keep the Body of Christ strong and working well, with all parts connected and doing their designated tasks. This same sense of purpose will also maintain in each member the firm idea that each one of us is important and necessary. In a body, different parts perform different tasks, but all of them are equally important.
Closeness and sharing. Those are the two main principles we should all follow as members of the Body of Christ. Keeping that in mind will help us to not lose track of our identity as sons and daughters of God. It will maintain in us the respect for all members of the Body, and it will also remind us of the importance of what we do for and with our Father.