You can never separate yourself from a family tree. To try and surgically detach yourself from your heritage is to be out of synch and out of tune with God’s natural order.

Along with our connection to a natural family, God’s plan was to create for us, another significant connection – to a spiritual family. Ephesians 1:5 says: “[God’s] unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family…And this gave him great pleasure.” (NLT)

How important is our adopted household of faith? It actually takes higher priority than our natural family. Yeshua expressed this seemingly radical concept in Mark 3:31 – 34:

“Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.’ But He answered them, saying, ‘Who is My mother, or My brothers?’ And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.’

Don’t be confused, Yeshua was not rejecting His natural kin. Before His death Yeshua makes sure that His mother is very well looked after by His beloved disciple John. Then later Yeshua saves His brother James and gives him a significant place of leadership among the Jerusalem body of believers. And Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:8: “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

But as important as our natural family is, God intended that our ties to spiritual family be tighter still. You are concerned when one of your parents or siblings is sick, aren’t you? If you can be of help, you do your best to be there for them, right? Well, if that’s so, how much more do we need to invest in our spiritual family? Paul says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Are you part of our family here in Jerusalem? If so, you may have a lot of brothers and sisters that you still need to get to know.

Recently, many of our family members have returned home from vacation. Now is a great time to get connected and strengthen our ties. This season, we’re encouraging everyone to join a home group. There’s no better place than home to build the family of God.

Perhaps the Lord will lead you to host up to a dozen brothers and sisters in your apartment once a week. Possibly this is the season that you’ll lead a home group. Whatever your contribution, I can guarantee that Abba will be pleased to see you investing time with His family.