Spiritual Family

“Then he pointed to his disciples and said, 'Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!'" -Matthew 12:49-50

Each of us has a family we were born into, or adopted by. We didn't choose our family. Some of us enjoy and have kinship in the family we were born with, and some of us don't. For many people, the relationships in our families are bittersweet.

But, thankfully when we are born again, we are adopted into an entirely new family! We are grafted into this family due to our faith. (Romans 11:23) However, being a part of this family has it's own challenges which can result in our character development, learning, and self-discovery - if we let it. These types of relationships can feel even more like family than our natural family. That is because true kingdom relationship is born out of God's original intention for family - it is because of His love for mankind.

Some people just starting out in their faith might adopt or be adopted by a spiritual mother or father who mentors them in their faith. Relationships like this are important to have, especially if we've had difficult nuclear family ties. In the books Timothy, Titus, and Philemon we hear of this spiritual fatherhood bond.

"I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison." -Philemon 1:10

Do you have people in your life that you consider to be spiritual family? We need these types of relationships to stay connected and grow as the body of Christ.

Related resource: Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, by Russell Moore

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