The Family Eternal
One of the greatest weights I have ever felt is the responsibility I'm charged with by God as a husband & father. I am constantly aware & convicted of my weakness & inability & sin in this area of my life. After having our first child in April, & graduating from a demanding & very family-unfriendly internship/seminary program, having only a few months left before going overseas, I vowed to give my family, whom I felt I had neglected over the church, priority over the church.
The other day I finally got around to a message I had bookmarked by CJ & Carolyn Mahaney on teaching children to love the local church. I was hoping to come away with some helpful ways to learn to communicate about the local church to Luke when he's older & hopefully some of his future siblings. But I was immediately confronted by my own sin within the first moments of the short message when C.J. said something like, "As important as family is, your church family is more important because it will endure eternally."
That was convicting & a very clear picture painted for me as to why the church is so important. 1 John has taught me to love the church, but I don't think I've ever considered the permanence of that love & family status. My marriage will dissolve in Heaven (Mt. 22:30), but those who are children of God will forever be my brothers & my sisters, my family eternal.
The other day I finally got around to a message I had bookmarked by CJ & Carolyn Mahaney on teaching children to love the local church. I was hoping to come away with some helpful ways to learn to communicate about the local church to Luke when he's older & hopefully some of his future siblings. But I was immediately confronted by my own sin within the first moments of the short message when C.J. said something like, "As important as family is, your church family is more important because it will endure eternally."
That was convicting & a very clear picture painted for me as to why the church is so important. 1 John has taught me to love the church, but I don't think I've ever considered the permanence of that love & family status. My marriage will dissolve in Heaven (Mt. 22:30), but those who are children of God will forever be my brothers & my sisters, my family eternal.
