You can’t choose your Family! Having just celebrated Christmas and New Year’s, many will still be smarting from arguments and upsetting incidents that occurred over Christmas. As wonderful and forgiving a time as Christmas can be - get a family together over Christmas and you will often get squabbling and arguments. It can take a great deal of diplomatic skill to avoid arguments. Some just don’t care who they hurt, they dwell in darkness and anger lashing out at others around them. Many of us still have the lost and unsaved in our families who need much prayer and patience to tolerate.

But what about Jesus family? I walked into a new Church once and heard a sermon on how bad churches are that foster an atmosphere where everyone hugs and treats others like family. That we are NOT family and that it is better to steep yourself in tradition and give other people space, because then you don’t get the back-biting, gossip and in-fighting in the church. The preacher of that sermon was so WRONG and afterwards I quietly and privately told her so! Then I walked out, never to return to that Church.

That church will still get all the in-fighting etc, because a church is made up of human beings. We are all just forgiven sinners. It will all just be underground, instead of being where the shepherd can see it and help sort it out and keep it to a minimum. Jesus knew that no man is an island, people are not made to live alone, physical touch is an emotional necessity for good mental health (difficult in these pandemic times) sometimes we all NEED a hug. Jesus reached out and touched lepers.

Today our Bible readings confirm WE ARE GOD’S FAMILY! Christ left us the commandment to “Love one another!” With some we have to work at it, all of us have difficult people in our lives, whether its a mad Aunt, an eccentric Uncle, a crazy Mother or maybe you are the only Christian in your family and they think you are crazy. We also have difficult, hurting people in our Christian family. The best advice I can give is: When angry, walk away and pray (in tongues if you have the gift), and repeat this phrase, under your breath to yourself, repeatedly: “This Battle is the Lords”. Pray then leave it all in His capable hands and ask him to help you just love them! Remember it is still Christmas right up until the 6th January and refuse to let others spoil that for you. God wants us to enjoy beautiful days, don’t let the enemy steal the season!