"Those who hear the word of God and do it"
Luke 8:19-21
Do your relationships help you or hinder you in living for God? God did not intend for us to be alone, but to be with others. He gives us many opportunities for developing relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Why does Jesus seem to ignore his own relatives when they pressed to see him? Jesus never lost an opportunity to teach his disciples a spiritual lesson or truth about the kingdom of God. On this occasion when many gathered to hear Jesus he pointed to another and higher reality of spiritual kinship, namely the family of God. An early martyr once said that "a Christian's only relatives are the saints." Those who follow Jesus Christ and who seek the will of God enter into a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood. Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God and his kingdom. Paul the Apostle warns us to not form friendships with those whose influence would lead us into sin and unfaithfulness (see Ephes. 5:7). We certainly must pray for them, seek their good, and look for ways to witness the joy of the gospel. True friendship for a Christian should strengthen us in our love for God and for neighbor. Do you seek the company of godly friends and advisors and do you look for ways to help others grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God and his will for their lives? "Heavenly Father, you bless us with family and friends, both spiritual and natural. Help me to love them with charity and grace. May I always prefer your will and seek to do what is right and good in all my relationships."
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