Brothers And Sisters

Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. -- Matthew 12:30 NIV

I remember growing up in that small Southern Baptist church that the grown-ups would call each other 'Brother Al' or 'Sister Kay'. It always struck me as odd and maybe even a little bit creepy. These people weren't related and family was supposed to be stronger than any friendship. Who were these people, as nice as they were, to try and encroach on my family? I couldn't have been more than 8 or 9, mind you, but I remember that being my mindset. I honestly think it is one more negative stigma for me with regard to traditional churches.

Having grown up and out of most (but maybe not quite all) of those issues, I have come to understand the reason they did that and I am happy to say that I have those same kinds of relationships with a number of people now...though we stop short of referring to one another as 'brother' or 'sister'. Becoming followers of Jesus, we enter into a new family. We all become children of God, unconditionally loved, with life eternal.

One of the aspects of this new family structure is that we need to stand firmly with Jesus and continue the work He started all those years ago. It's serious business and not to be overlooked or taken lightly. Like He says, we're either on board or we aren't...no room for mediocrity.

Another aspect that should also receive more attention than it sometimes does is that we need to support our new family members. We focus many times on helping the needy and those who don't really know about salvation (which are great undertakings!), and it can be easy to just expect other Christ followers to take care of themselves. What we fail to realize is that Satan is going to attack those of us with the most to lose the hardest!

When we come under fire is precisely the time we need to be standing together, not tearing each other down and feeling better about ourselves just because we see a brother or sister stumble instead of remembering we're just as guilty without Jesus and, instead, coming to their aid. The more chinks that get put in our armor and, as a result, into the church's armor the easier we make it for Satan to drive a wedge between us and delay the work we've been called to continue. The bulk of the New Testament is letters written in support of fellow Christians for crying out loud!!!

What if we really focused on coming together, not just over the course of a few days or weeks each year but every day, and helped our new family up instead of ripping them apart? What could we accomplish if that just become part of the mission of our lives?

It doesn't start with our government and it doesn't even start with our spiritual leaders. It starts with you and me doing the right thing because it's the right thing. It starts when we do it because it's what Jesus would do were He standing next to you in the flesh.