You’re in the Family!

This week at house church, we started a study of Ephesians.  In the opening chapter, Paul tells is about blessings from God – all of God’s riches we have received when we trusted in Christ.  Paul writes that God chose us and “predestined us to be adopted as his sons”.  We are heirs to the throne – children of the King.

It reminds me of growing up.  I grew in a mid to low class, immigrant family where my parent had to work a lot to make ends meet.  In school I had friends that came from seemingly traditional, well to do American families. They seemingly had everything they ever needed.  It wasn’t just the material things nor did they necessarily always have the right clothes or shoes.  But one of the things that struck the most is when I’d spend time with them at their homes.  Their mom would often say things like, “Hey help yourselves with something to eat… there’s deli meat for sandwiches… snacks in the pantry, fruit in fridge…”

At my house we didn’t have a lot of food to go around.  Certainly not enough to be giving away to a bunch of my hungry teenager friends.  But even just the fact there was a “mom” at home was pretty special.  My mom past away when I was twelve, but these guys had both natural parents – mom and dad – who seemed to be always there for them.  I would see them drive my friends to school, pick them from practice or drive them to the mall.  I’d asked my over-worked father for a ride and he’d say, “Mall?  Why do you want to go there for?”

I know my dad did what he could for us and he did great by bringing us here to America where he has raised us to be successful, independent people.  But I use look at those friends and to think to myself, “Man, what must it be like to be in that family…?”  I wondered how great it must be to be in that kind of home.  That’s what I’m reminded as I’m starting study Ephesian.  Paul says that in my spiritual life and my life in Christ, I now live in that home… in that house… in that family.  I have these things and the riches from a father who feeds me and carries and who can meet all my needs.

In the recent weeks I’ve been reading the Bible a lot and reading about the Bible as well.  I’m starting to understand the doctrines that really makes up my belief system.  This, for one, is truly where I start to find just one of those treasures.  I have the Word of God.  Written by men for men, but all inspired by God.  The Bible is God’s Word.  God makes no mistakes nor does He lie.  I believe God is the highest authority, so that the Bible isn’t just true, but it is the truth.  All of these together leads to another doctrine of truth, which says that the Bible is sufficient – it’s not only what I need, but it’s all I need to have certainty in life.  When I think of others outside this family… I think about others who might be the ones outside looing in, I think how lost they must feel sometimes searching for answers when life throws curl balls at them.  I still have spells of self doubt, but being in this family, I now have the knowledge to know where my focus needs to be when the tough questions come up – the Bible.  I’m reminded of how Jesus responded in Matthew 4:4, “Man does not live on bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

That kind of certainty and assurance give me peace, hope, strength and confidence.  And I think to myself how I’m just scratching the surface of the kind of wealth we have in the Father in whom we have our inheritance.

How have you felt the riches of God’s lavished onto your life?