Every family has struggles. Why is this? We were all made unique by God. Different, and with our own set of interests and things that we gravitate towards. But why do these interests cause division? Do we think and want all people to be "just like us?" Do you think, "how perfect would the world be if everyone just thought like me?"
I do think there are times we are all prone to think like this. The world however would not be perfect if we all thought exactly the same way...unless, we all thought exactly like Jesus did. Jesus was the only perfect "human" who walked the face of the earth. And for one pray to be more like Him every day.
Regardless of the circumstances that which surround your current state of being without good relationships with your family, I promise you, there is ONE who will never say, "you are not my family..."
You guessed it..Jesus.
I assure you there is one who never leave you, nor forsake you. ( Hebrews 13:5)
I think there were points in my life where I felt that no one understood me, and no one could feel the way I felt. Have you ever felt this way? Like no one "gets" you?
When I discovered Christ for real, (or rather He grabbed my heart) I realized for the first time that there was someone who got me a whole different level. There was someone who spoke words to me that my heart longed to hear. Words of security. Words that of reassurance that I was NOT a failure. That I was not a screw up. Words that told me that there was HOPE for my life, and the someone wanted to do BIG things with my life!
Joy came into my being and I realized in a very big way, that I was not alone. I think that there are a lot of very lonely people in this world. Sometimes we are lonely because we chose to separate ourselves. Being around "family" can just be too painful. They don't get us, and they don't seem to want to get us. Our pain is so unique and deep we feel they will never get us.
The biggest question I ask is this...Does your family know Jesus? I mean really KNOW Jesus. Not do they "go to church" and not, "do they know about Christian rules..." Not, "do they pray at dinner..." and not, "DO they know about RELIGION." I cannot say it enough, RELIGION IS NOT JESUS. Jesus is a person. Jesus is a someone we get to know, and then by knowing Him , He begins to change us to look and be more like Him.
Everything Jesus stood for was good. He loved all people. He dined with those who were cast out of many social groups. He did hang with the "unpopular" or "unorthodox" He stood for respect, He stood for protection of the "little guy." He stood for everything moral and good.
Why do people stray away from calling Him their "family." Jesus tells us that whoever does the will of His Father in heaven is His mother, sister and brother. (Matthew 12:50)
Isn't that an amazing reassuring truth?
Jesus does not play into our emotions to get things from us. He does not want you to perform, and then applaud you when you do well. He speaks love to you and then takes you into His family. He loves you unconditionally. His love is not based on performance. His love is not based how what you accomplish for Him. His love is not based on how well you behave. He loves you because HE loves you, because He loves you. He loves because HE chose to. He loves you because. Isn't that amazing?
SO what's the catch you say?
That was the issue the Jews had back in the time when Jesus walked the world in human form. They could not believe that someone would come to them with life giving truth and ask for nothing in return. They could not believe that Jesus would give His life up for the cost of their sin. We simply did not want to recognize that we had sin.
I think sin is something that is impossible to miss. I feel it in me all the time. I see it in my behavior, and in my attitude, it pops up in my thinking and tries to set up residence in my heart. Sin us apart of life because man loves to live for himself. That is why I know Jesus is my only hope.
Jesus is my best friend. My perfect Father. My devoted helper. The only One who truly gets me, and the only one who ever tells me what I REALLY need to hear.
We all have that "friend" we go to that tells us what we want to hear, but what about the friend who tells you the hard truth but loves you anyway? If you are blessed enough to have one of those on earth, thank Jesus for that. I do have that, I have it in my husband, but Jesus is the one who gave me my husband. And for that I thank Him on the daily!
But my husband will die someday, hopefully my husband and I will go together so I don't have to be without my wonderful man, but I if he goes first, I will still have Jesus. Jesus is the only one I can never lose, and who will never run out on me. Jesus is there is the dark times and He is there is the joyful times. HE is there when I'm all alone in my room at night, and I feel the cold darkness of night creep in. He is there when I feel weak. He is there when I'm sad, and when tears stain my face. Jesus is the only one who loves, and never fails.
Do you know THIS Jesus I speak of? Not the Jesus that was painted to you in a picture of religious finger pointing.
Once you meet the Jesus I speak of, you will not want anything else! Once you see His beauty and feel His touch the empty abandonment you once felt by every human who ever "let you down.." WILL melt away. He heals in way no doctor or therapist or self help person every could. Jesus is the answer. Jesus is my family in the truest form. and He can be yours to.
"How?" You ask?
Ask for Him. This is by far the most amazing part about Jesus that is true...He is where you are. Ask for Him wherever you are. This may feel childish to you at first, but ask for His presence to overwhelm you. Ask for Him to show himself to you. Ask for Him to speak to you. I'm pretty excited for you my friend. That if this is a person you have never met before, you are in the for the best moments of you life.
Jesus RECREATES life in a way that you never even thought possible!!!! He is my very best thought every day.
If you are alone, if you are not alone, if you have family or if you don't, Jesus fills voids you didn't even know you had, so how much more will He feel the huge vacant spots you feel every day. If there is pain you cannot rid yourself of, and emptiness that will not go away no matter what you try, perhaps you should try Jesus.
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