As Family!

To experience a sense of belonging is very AFFIRMING. No one wants to feel like an outcast or outsider. We all need a place to belong. For some teens -- when families are not there for them -- a gang becomes their family. May we each consider the part we play in what we make of our own immediate families.

A healthy and AFFIRMING place is what the Lord intended for His church. Though that includes being honest about things that may need to change or can be done better, in love that truth can be handled. ( Ephesians 4:15) This closeness of relationship is why the church is called "a body" ( Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18) that functions together under Christ Who is its head. It is also why the church is referred to as the "family of God" or "household of God" ( 1 Peter 4:17) because it is a place for all its members -- God's children -- to belong and experience the loving support needed in life.

A few days ago I had the opportunity to sit down with a brother in Christ who had some concerns on his heart, but he did not want to discourage anyone. He shared. We talked. And we prayed together. Positive things going on were AFFIRMED as well as a desire for more openness in ways in which God would not only use he and I, but also the rest of the family of God making up our congregation. Though we addressed concerns to work through, we AFFIRMED our own roles and what God can do through them. Between the two of us there was real mutual encouragement experienced. That time spent together were precious. We together AFFIRMED our love for each other, for the Lord's church, and the vision of reaching out to lost souls in our community.

In Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica, he wrote. . .

"Therefore ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER and BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP, just as you are doing." ( 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

Sometimes we need to stop and evaluate what we are doing and how we are doing it. We must not become complacent with the way things are. There is always room for growth. But how wonderful it is when brethren can come together and share the concerns and possible solutions and still ENCOURAGE and BUILD UP in the process. Regardless of age, as members of the Lord's body, we are in this together. May it be what we keep on doing.

Have a great day MAKING THE AFFIRMATION MUTUAL!
Carl

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