A Family for God

Hebrews 2:10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

We live in an age where “family” has taken on what seems like new meanings. Blended, mixed and single parent families often seem confusing. The lament seems to be what has happened to the traditional family?  That question made me consider families in the Old Testament when a man had many children by many wives. Wasn’t that traditional…then?

That second question made me think about how easy is it is to be “not Godless, but not Godly either.” That phrase is where I find real value in the stories of those Old Testament characters who’s traditional lives seemed to be such a mess, and in my own life as well. Somehow all our confusing and questionable ideas of “traditional” still are combining to become A Family for God with room available for more imperfect characters.

It isn’t the traditional that God is looking for at all; it’s the Godly. I’m rethinking my use of the word traditional in light of God’s concept of the perfect family: Himself, Jesus and [your name here]. “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.”