The deal with family

So the post on family has gotten some pretty interesting responses. Keep em coming. Thats what this is all about. You guys have a voice.

So what is the deal with all this family talk? Well, I have been in Youth Ministry going on 5 years now and I have seen one common thread throughout all the churches I have visited, worked at, studied, and spoken at. The churches that grow, that impact their world, that truly love people, are truly family.

Family is so much more than a word. It is a unity, a closeness, an openness that allows people to talk about how they feel, hold each other up, and hold each other accountable.

I love my wife. She is the most amazing and brilliant woman I have ever known. She is my best friend. We can share deep feelings, we support each other above all else, and we keep each other pointed in the right direction (she is REALLY good at that). Thats really what family is all about.

Another aspect of family is people. Every family has one thing in common. People. That means one thing. Families are never perfect. As much as I love my wife, I still fight selfishness and we still have our bad days. Sometimes we fight, but we always, always, work to heal our relationship.

Our youth group is made up of a lot of people. We will never be perfect, but we should always, always, work to keep our relationships strong. Sometimes that means doing hard things, but it always involves love.

Bottom line, the rest of the world will know we are Christians by our love. Not only for the lost, for those who don't know Christ, but for each other. So family is this. That we do not consider ourselves greater than everyone else, but consider others needs as more important than our own. That is giving, that is selfless, that is love, and that is family.