New Family

When we are transformed by the grace of Jesus, our lives are entirely changed. Every aspect of who we are is made new. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “The old has gone; the new has come!” We get a new family, a new life, a new purpose, and new strength. 

No matter how alone or surrounded you may feel, when you choose to follow Jesus, you immediately receive a new family in Christ. You get countless brothers and sisters in Christ - people you might know and many you will never meet until heaven. It’s amazing to recognize that we have a family made up of people who follow Jesus even on the other side of the world. 

Being a part of God’s family doesn’t mean that we are all the same. In fact, that’s the beauty of it! God made each of us in his image, but we all represent a different part of the body. Like each of our bodies is made up of multiple parts (hands, fingers, feet, eyelashes, ears, fingernails, belly buttons…) so is the family of Jesus. Every person serves a function and has a unique set of gifts that makes the whole body fit together perfectly. You are needed and you are an important part! Much like a piece in a giant jigsaw puzzle, we each fit perfectly and help make the overall picture more beautiful. 

As we find our place in the body of Christ and fulfill our part, we also get the opportunity to serve and love one another. As we do this, we help others grow in their part. When we see each other as brothers and sisters--as family members also made in the image of God--then we will be able to treat one another with humility, gentleness, patience, and love as the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. When we love each other in this way, we are united and can move forward in the calling that God has given us all.