Wishing You and Your Family The Health of God’s Love, In His Church

What is the best resolution a person can make, not just at the beginning of a year, but for their most positive and healthy life? Please notice I am asking this question after the first of the year.

I have heard and read in counseling classes that for a person to have a healthy self-image, a vital factor is a good relationship with their parents, especially with their father. No wonder I read what I did in an opinion piece recently. One man suggested that the biggest cause of inequity in our culture is the result of the different privilege which occurs for children who come from a two parent household. Parents are important!

That is also one reason why, when people ask me for help, I often share with them that if a healthy relationship with our earthly father is important, how much more important is a healthy relationship with our Heavenly Father? A person needs a positive relationship with their Creator, their Lord, and their Savior. Please notice that this is all “family language.” God’s family plan for His children is not just about blood family, but also for a faith family – His Church! A local Christian congregation is a gathering of people who are brothers and sisters because God created them, and because, in Jesus. He saved them.

We all know that families do not always agree. Families do face problems and dis-agreements. The same thing is sadly also true of Christian congregations, or families. But family is family, and in God’s plan families work through disagreements in order to work together. The glue for families is love. In a Christian family that love is fed by faith, faith which knows that our Heavenly Father loved us in Creation, and that He has sought out His wandering sheep to love them through the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus gave His disciples instruction for His family - The Church "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) John further instructs Christ’s church in his first epistle. “10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11) The equation is simple. God’s people receive love from our Father through the life and death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Then, when we know the love which God has for us, we share that love with one another.

In my first year as pastor, I received a phone call from a highly respected scholar, and former professor. Dr. Richard Dinda called me from Texas to ask me to do a chore for him in St. Louis. After asking about the congregation where I was serving, he gave me some advice, “Love ‘em, Jon. Just love ‘em.” That advice remains with me. This man was known for, among other things, translating for publication a large Latin manuscript. But this well-known scholar summarized good churchmanship in one quality, love. That may sound like a lot of rambling, and those who know me wouldn’t be surprised if I do ramble. But, these thoughts lead me to two questions which I have for you.

First, do your plans for this year, and for your life, include active participation in God’s earthly family, in His Church? Remember, a healthy relationship with our Heavenly Father leads us to a healthy life. If you do plan this, please know that living as part of God’s family means regular attendance, and support of your congregation.

So, secondly, if you are living as part of God’s family, will you work to bring love to your congregation. Remember, all families have issues. Sinful humans can and do act in unloving ways. But, through Jesus, God’s people can bring forgiveness and love to their faith family. We not only need God’s church to grow in our relationship with God. The church needs us to work to make it a healthy family.

What resolutions have you made, not just at the beginning of a year, but for your most positive and healthy life? I pray you may find health and love from your Heavenly Father, and that you share His love through regular participation in Christ’s family, The Church.