One of my biggest struggles as a Christian feels like the times when I am busy, when we have family visiting, school holidays, Christmas new year, lots of socialising, whatever it is that takes me away from having alone time, reading my Bible and praying. I often feel so far from God during those times.
I sometimes think to myself, maybe it’s different for those who grew up in Christian families, maybe it’s different for those who have a believing spouse. Maybe it’s different for those whose children go to church etc. etc.
Yesterday I went to church for the first time since I had flu a few weeks ago. It felt like I had been struggling in an ocean and finally been thrown a life-raft. I had people around me to teach me, and lift me up in my faith.
One of the scriptures we focused on was this one from Romans 12.2 ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’
And I think that’s the thing for me, about being with so many non-believers, being out in the world, that it moulds us, and effects us, so that it is hard to know what the will of God is anymore.
After church I walked to the bus stop with a new friend I’ve made there and somehow we got onto the topic of aliens being demons, and then she was telling me about the nephilim that hid underground during the flood. She was talking about how there’s a lot more going underground than we realise,. Afterwards we messaged back and forth and she sent me lots of scriptures, and youtube videos, links about CERN and all sorts.
It felt good to find someone to talk about the kind of stuff not all Christians are open to!
As I was walking my dog this morning, pieces of this puzzle clicked into place. I had been thinking that I was at a disadvantage because I didn’t grow up in Christian family, or that my husband is a non-believer.
However, I realised, of course, now I am now a member of God’s family!
When during his ministry Jesus was speaking to people his mother and brothers were waiting to speak to him, and when he was told of this Jesus said, ‘‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
If you’ve read the Old Testament you will see how Jesus came from the line of David, and was a descendent of one of the 12 tribes of Israel, God’s original chosen ones. But now we can all be adopted into his family. We have all been ‘grafted in’ as the apostle Paul says in Romans, ‘you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.’
Over and over again it is coming to me how important our Christian brothers and sisters are. Yes we must ‘love our neighbour’ and ‘honour our mother and father.’ We have our immediate family to love and take care of. However just as important, is that church family who reminds us of who we are in Christ, who help us stay close to God.
I’m so grateful to have found a church to call home, and so many opportunities to start relationships with my Christian brothers and sisters. I know it’s not always easy so if you would like prayers to find your local church family too then feel free to get in touch and I will pray for you.