'Family Matters'

'The Cosby Family' - PrayerArt by Rev.Bola A. (Nov'09)

The area of family is no doubt one in which the potential for acts of commission or omission to have a deeply felt and lasting impression is possible. Indeed family opens us to vulnerability, and yet also offers us one of the greatest opportunities for learning spiritual lessons of love, appreciation, gratitude, humility, and forgiveness.

The subject of family is indeed a very sensitive one. Be it in our relationship with a marital partner, a parent, an off spring, or a sibling; when the going is good, it feels very good, but when the going goes bad, it can often feel agonizing. A family that is not built on a steady and solid spiritual foundation, with God at its center, is a very shaky one and prone to experiencing problems.

Just as the individual needs to be God centered, in order to survive the perils of this world, so does the family. A family that prays together, stays together, and the devil is the family's greatest enemy. The devil is against unity in families, and uses all manner of ploys to undermine family love and unity. God is the light and foundation of any family, and we need Him to maintain that constant flow of family love.

The Bible states: 'Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone'.
None of us are without error in our relationships, as we are all at different stages of our spiritual growth. I know in my attempts to flex my spiritual muscles, and grow as a spiritual being, that I have certainly erred in my familial relationships. I also know that as much as I love members of my family, some of them have erred also.

We learn by our mistakes until we become completely Christ like. It is important that we understand this fact, in our experiences with family members. We must recognize no one is perfect, and we are called to forgive and receive forgiveness for past mistakes. This does not mean that we have to condone abuse, or continue to enable toxic or addictive behavior.

What we are called to do, is to wish one another well, pray for one another and affirm the very best of spiritual, mental and material being for all our family members. We can honor our family members by wanting for them, what God what's for them, and holding them within that positivity and light in our own hearts, even when we may disagree with some of their activities.

We need to be vigilant of the kind of thoughts and feelings we are harboring in our minds and hearts about are family members, and ensure that they are uplifting, Christ like and positive ones. It does us no good to harbor unresolved negativity, and resentment about our family members or indeed about ourselves for that matter.

We also need to harbor positive uplifting feelings and thoughts about ourselves in relating to other family members, and not permit another family members negativity to bring us down as well. We can always ask for God's help and support in dealing with our family members, and He will guide us in what to do at all times.

 By Rev.Bola A.(copyright: 23Nov'09 - ARR)
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