When we were young parents, just expecting our first child, my husband and I would think about the new future ahead of us. We'd try to picture how life would be, what our little baby would be like, and we would joke about our child's future career.
"But what if he turns out to be a great athlete?!"
"What if he wants to be a doctor or lawyer?!"
"What if he's good at math and science?!"
We were afraid that we'd have a hard time relating to our child if he was too different from us, and being more of the artistic-types, we naturally hoped our child would be a musician, an artist, or a teacher.
But of course, we love our first-born, as we love all our children, with the easy, natural first love, and the more difficult, cultivated, unconditional love. We face the reality that our children will not be exact copies of us, and we learn to love them for who they truly are. Already, each child is showing personal preferences and interests. My oldest daughter's taste in clothes is completely different from mine. And my youngest son will most likely grow up to pursue extreme sports, and all I will be able to do is crochet my nervous energy away and pray for the best.
But what I love most is how my family reflects God's family, on a smaller scale. In God's family, there are many personalities, many talents, and many interests. But God still commands us to be united. He expects us to love our brother and sister in Christ even if he or she is not a football fanatic or a Sunday School teacher. Colossians 3:13 says, "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (NIV)
See the parallel in the verse? We are relational beings, because God is a relational being, and He created us in His image. Our relationship with God reflects our relationship with others, and vice versa.
Similarly, marriage and family (both parent/child relationships and sibling relationships) are smaller versions of God's two great commandments. Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV) Marriage reflects a person's relationship with God (it's one-on-one, and entirely the person's choice to be in the relationship) and family reflects a person's relationship with his/her neighbor. If we can love greatly in our marriages and our families, we will naturally love greatly outside of that.
I know that not everyone reading this is a parent, a spouse, or a sibling, but EVERYONE is at least a child. Start seeing the family in your life as opportunities to practice 'loving your neighbor'. And if you are a parent, teach your children to treat their siblings with the greatest respect and kindness, and they will know how to treat others with the same respect and kindness.
And so those are more of my thoughts on family. It took me a while to think through them and get it down in words. If you have any thoughts to share, please do!
"But what if he turns out to be a great athlete?!"
"What if he wants to be a doctor or lawyer?!"
"What if he's good at math and science?!"
We were afraid that we'd have a hard time relating to our child if he was too different from us, and being more of the artistic-types, we naturally hoped our child would be a musician, an artist, or a teacher.
But of course, we love our first-born, as we love all our children, with the easy, natural first love, and the more difficult, cultivated, unconditional love. We face the reality that our children will not be exact copies of us, and we learn to love them for who they truly are. Already, each child is showing personal preferences and interests. My oldest daughter's taste in clothes is completely different from mine. And my youngest son will most likely grow up to pursue extreme sports, and all I will be able to do is crochet my nervous energy away and pray for the best.
But what I love most is how my family reflects God's family, on a smaller scale. In God's family, there are many personalities, many talents, and many interests. But God still commands us to be united. He expects us to love our brother and sister in Christ even if he or she is not a football fanatic or a Sunday School teacher. Colossians 3:13 says, "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (NIV)
See the parallel in the verse? We are relational beings, because God is a relational being, and He created us in His image. Our relationship with God reflects our relationship with others, and vice versa.
Similarly, marriage and family (both parent/child relationships and sibling relationships) are smaller versions of God's two great commandments. Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV) Marriage reflects a person's relationship with God (it's one-on-one, and entirely the person's choice to be in the relationship) and family reflects a person's relationship with his/her neighbor. If we can love greatly in our marriages and our families, we will naturally love greatly outside of that.
I know that not everyone reading this is a parent, a spouse, or a sibling, but EVERYONE is at least a child. Start seeing the family in your life as opportunities to practice 'loving your neighbor'. And if you are a parent, teach your children to treat their siblings with the greatest respect and kindness, and they will know how to treat others with the same respect and kindness.
And so those are more of my thoughts on family. It took me a while to think through them and get it down in words. If you have any thoughts to share, please do!
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