in review of Ephesians 2:19 this morning I read, “You are members of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (TLB).
God's household (church) is not a physical building, but rather a group of people. He lives in me and shows himself to a watching world through me. People can see that God is love and that Christ is Lord as I live in harmony with others and in accordance with what God says in his Word. We are citizens of God's Kingdom and members of his household.
Much of my identity is based upon my relationships. I’m a grandson. I’m a son. I’m a husband. I’m a grandfather. I’m a team member. I’m a group member. I’m an employee. I’m all of those things. Those relationships help to define who I am.
I know who I am in relationship to other people. When that relationship ends, many people have trouble coming to grips with who they are. Or if they’ve been laid off from a job that’s been tied to their identity, it can be really tough to get clarity with their identity. That’s why God wants me to gain my identity from a relationship that’ll never end: my relationship with his family.
It doesn’t matter what family I’ve had in the past. My identity doesn’t come from it. My identity comes from my relationship with God’s family. In fact, my physical family was just a channel to get me into God’s family. God used my parents to bring me into the world. But God’s real goal wasn’t to keep me in that family; it was to put me in his family.
My spiritual family is actually more important than my physical family. Physical families don’t last forever. People grow up. They move away. They get divorced. They die. My spiritual family will last forever. When that’s what my identity is built upon, it’ll last.
In summary, I am a member of God's family, I belong in his household with other believers. God's household is not a building, but rather a group of people. He lives in me and shows himself to the world around me through me. Others can see that God is love and Christ is Lord as I live in harmony with other believers. Much of my identity is based upon my relationships. These relationships help to define who I am. God wants me to gain my identity from a relationship that will never end: his family. My spiritual family will last forever. When my identity is built upon it, it will last.
Father this verse and devotion help to remind me that I will find my identity in your family. Instead of using other relationships or work, my identity comes from being with others who seek to have a relationship with you, who show who you are by how we live and work with each other. This morning Father I pray that you help me remember that I’m part of your family, one that will last forever. One that is worth continuing to build my life on. I also pray Father today for your wisdom and guidance in handling my work tasks, my relationships, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray these things in your Son Jesus name, amen.
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