The Lord has been speaking to me about discipleship in the home. Our first responsibility as people of God is nurturing, valuing, treasuring, affirming, building-up and even cherishing the hearts of those God has given us as spouses, children and family. How often our words, attitudes, looks, posture and non-verbal cues speak loudly to our “loved ones” that we don’t care, don’t have time, aren’t interested and otherwise find the persons right in front of to be a burden and even a distraction and nuisance. God forbid, that the very people God has blessed us with in order that we might experience unconditional love and acceptance we treat with disdain and and impatience. Why do we do this? We blame it on many things, but I believe that it is a combination of a few things: busyness, selfishness and undue fascination with the stuff (temporal things) of life. Indeed somehow between our own overcommitments (or poor time management) in combination with obsession with material possessions, financial security, success, accolades and struggling with inner selfishness we have many times neglected, alienated, forgotten and yes even forsaken our beloved ones. So what are we to do about this?
First we must know the love that God the Father has had for us. He didn’t love us from a distance. No He came as Emmanuel, God with us. He took on flesh and walked among us so that He would know our struggles as we do and that He might show us compassion and love incarnate. God doesn’t call us, instruct us or make promises from a distance but rather He draws near by His Spirit and whispers our name. When we relate to our kids or spouses from a distance we end up become estranged and unknown and simply cannot love or be loved as we need.
Second we must know that when God came near He was not satisfied only with being near. He wanted to be with us. In the digital/wired era in which we live, how often we are tempted to be near people but not with. God on the other hand came near and made it a commitment to be with people as well. When we live near but not with people that breeds familiarity rather than intimacy; furthermore familiarity without intimacy can and often does create indifference, then apathy, and finally stand-offishness or even despisement.
As men and women who desire to be all that God has called us to be to our families and loved ones we must learn from the perfect love of God. We must learn to be with and not just near. We must learn meet those we are seeking to commune with where they are. We must look them in the eye, listen to the cries of their hearts, respond in love, tenderness and compassion. We must treasure the hearts of those we call our beloved. We must find the broken places in their hearts and fill them up with love. How important it is that we value and take tender care of the treasure that is the heart. After all, remember the heart is the wellspring of life.
Pastor Michael Johnson 