Month: June 2015

Bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.
–Thomas à Kempis

Ha ha! What a great quote to remind us not to think too highly of ourselves!

While we go through this day, let us be careful not to do so much criticizing of others, because there is a whole lot that others could criticize about us. While we are enduring the things that frustrate us in other people, there are other people who are being very patient regarding the frustrating things that we do.

So as you begin today, ask God to give you the ability to go through this day with patience and compassion for others… He is patient and compassionate toward you, so be patient with others and look at them with compassion.

There is something dark and deceitful that still lurks in the heart of every one of God’s children who has not yet been fully glorified…
…sin.

    It is only ever the sin inside of you that draws and hooks you to the sin outside of you. Every day there is a war fought for control of your heart. But your jealous Savior, with the zeal of gorgeous redemptive love, will not share your heart. He will not rest until your heart is ruled by him and him alone.
–Paul David Tripp

I am so thankful he is working to make my heart fully his!
Refine me, Lord.

It is the Father who has made us members of His family, and it is His will that we find each other and learn to talk to Him together.
–Rosalind Rinker

Christians, do we truly consider each other family?
Do you think about those sitting in the pews around you as family?
Jesus called us his mother and brothers and sisters.
He tells us that God has adopted us into his family.
And as Todd Agnew wrote for a song… there is one important reason that you must love your fellow church member:
“If we’re all under one Father that makes us all brothers… We are all family.”

For the most part, in America, it seems that when we join the church we gain new friends and get to keep our biological family as well. But in places with strong hostility toward Christianity, the choosing of Christ often means the expulsion from your biological family. The family which raised you may reject you if you choose Christ. The church family then becomes so very important to these believers who need the intimate love of a family, but are now, in some ways, orphans without a home. God invites them into his home and his family – where we become the new brothers and sisters.

And it is his will that we find each other, love one another like family, and learn to pray with one another in unity.

Today, begin changing your mind toward your fellow believers.
And then on Sunday, when you go to worship with your church family, don’t just consider them good friends… Look at them as your family – your new grandmothers and uncles and nephews and nieces and Brothers and Sisters. (Even if some of us might be difficult to love. Keep bearing with us and love us anyway. Your love toward me as your new family member will change me in time.)

Remember,
We all have One Father… that makes us One Family.