A family is the basic social unit in the society. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized because a lot depends on it. It produces great world leaders, technicians, scientists, priests, you and I. It was the will of God that you be born in the family you are in because He knew better. It was not a coincidence to have the parents that you have or grow up in the neighborhood you did. God had it all planned out from the beginning because He knew the type of person you would become and your family was the right one to shape you into it.

God carefully considered the type of family that Jesus would be born into. It was an important decision because it would greatly determine the upbringing of the boy Jesus. More so, it would influence how He would be accepted in Jewish society. The first thing that Angel Gabriel announced to Mary was that she was highly favored and the Lord was with her. Mary wondered how it would be possible to conceive yet she was a virgin but betrothed to Joseph. It finally dawned on her that God had chosen her and Joseph to be the family where the Messiah would be born.

Jesus had both an Earthly and Spiritual family. His Earthly family was Joseph, Mary, and his other siblings. His spiritual family was God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Just like Jesus, you also have both Earthly and Spiritual families. Both of them are important to you and you should have a good relationship with both.

Your spiritual family with Christ.

You have a spiritual family relationship with Jesus from the day you accepted Salvation. He has given everyone who believes in His name the right to become children of God. They are not born out of a human decision but of God’s. You now have a spiritual family with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

As children of God, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. This family relationship grows stronger when we invest in it. One way to build it is to know your place in it and you can play your roles more effectively according to the will of God.

There are traditionally defined roles for family members. Spiritual families have a similar concept. Jesus spoke of this relationship to His disciples. Jesus (the Son) is the true vine, God (the Father) is the gardener, and we (the believers) are the branches. In this family setup, the Father takes care of the garden where the vine is planted. He tills the land, removes weeds, and waters the vine. The vine absorbs nutrients from the well-kept garden and distributes them to its branches. The branches then host twigs, leaves, flowers, and fruits.

There are many branches on the vine. Some produce more fruits than others. Your role as a branch on the vine is to remain attached to it and be fruitful. As the gardener takes care of His vineyard, He will prune the branches that show the potential of being fruitful and cut off the unproductive ones. In this light, how can you cement your place in the family of Christ?

• Be attractive like the flowers.

Flowers are the most attractive part of a plant. More so if they have brightly colored petals, they will always catch your eye. Your lifestyle should be as bright as flowers. It is not to push you to become an attention seeker but to inspire you to be noticeable. The Bible teaches that we are like a lamp that is put on the lamp stand to light the house. Light, like flowers, is attractive. It makes you noticeable and useful. It is also how you can make yourself useful in the family of Christ.

• Be protective like the leaves.

The leaves are an important part of a plant. Some plants make and store their food in the leaves, others in the stem, or the roots. To protect themselves from danger, some leaves have rough surfaces or thorns. It jealously guards itself from those who want to steal its usefulness away. While in the family of Christ, be protective like the leaves. The rest of the family will love you for how you protect them too.

• Be courageous like the shoots of branches.

The shoots of branches are very courageous. They direct the growth of the plant while looking out for the benefit of the whole of it. The shoot of the branch will bend towards light or around an obstacle so that the plant can grow healthy. It indicates the courage and selflessness of the shoot. Cement your place in the family of Christ like the shoot – courageously and selflessly.

• Be supportive like the branch.

The branch supports many parts of the vine and the vine supports all the branches. There is unity in the vine and the family of Christ. Your place in the family is to continue with this support. The leaves, flowers, and twigs fully depend on the branch to support and connect them to the vine. Similarly, your place in the family of Christ is to support other members just as God supports you. He supports your vision and expects you to support that of your family members too.

• Be important like the fruit.

A fruit was once a flower. After fertilization, different parts of the flower become different parts of a fruit until it eventually matures. Most plants store their food in fruits. This makes them very valuable and a prize to most farmers. You should be important like fruits in the family of Christ. The higher your value, the closer you are to the rest of the family members.

Your place in the family of Christ is guaranteed by Salvation and it will not be taken away from you. Your role in it is to maintain the family culture (Holiness) and beliefs (Faith) because the Father (God) has already embraced and welcomed you in it.

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