Family 

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8)

God is interested in our family dynamics. To a certain extent, every organization and community resembles a family unit. The family unit is an institution that provides emotional, spiritual, and psychological security and attachments. Different cultures, behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes are formed from the basis of the family unit. Friends, the family unit, is integral to society. This all brings me back to Paul’s instruction to Timothy, “Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That’s worse than refusing to believe in the first place” (1 Timothy 5:6, MSG). The word repudiates captures the feeling of spiritual repugnance and refusal to acclimate towards genuine love. I see in this teaching the heart of God—a heart that yearns for Christians to take care of their family unit. We often quote, “they will know us by our love.” Well, friends, does “they” include our families? Regrettably, I find myself sacrificing my family on the altar of ministry. Don’t get me wrong, ministering to others’ needs is not bad; however, it becomes a problem when it takes precedence over the family unit. The faith and love of Jesus Christ are best summarized in this text, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Without disturbing the narrative flow, you can replace “friends” with family. 

Genuine love starts at home. I share an authentic love with others when I first share it with my familiar bonds.  We learn to love others more when we first learn to love those God has knit together in our family unit. For some, this is an easy task; for others, it is a challenging task. I would not bring this up if I didn’t recognize and accept that it is the grace of God that allows us to love our families. The emotional, spiritual, and psychological security garnered from love is worth it. Let us all reassess our hearts on how we treat our families because, according to Paul, it displays our faith-walk with Christ.