Morning Devotion: Jesus stated His family were those who did the will of His Father. Blood is not thicker than Spirit. Find and invest in a spiritual family. One of the functions of the church is to be a global family and body. There are no outcasts or step children or unwanted children in God’s family.

Jesus’ True Family

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside, asking for him to come out and speak with them. Then someone said, “Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to have a word with you.” But Jesus just looked at him and said, “Let me introduce you to my true mother and brothers.” Then gesturing to the disciples gathered around him, he said, “Look closely, for this is my true family. When you obey my heavenly Father, that makes you a part of my true family.”~Matthew 12:46-49 the Passion Translation.

Some of my best relationships and substantial support has come from spiritual family. I acquired some spiritual siblings who treat me exceptionally well, some older siblings who invested wisdom and love, and even a few mentors who fathered me (all my focused long term mentors have been male).

I am thankful for spiritual family. Some say blood is thicker than water. I say the Spirit of God is thicker and a stronger bond than blood. Our blood relatives may not even inherit the Kingdom, sad but true. Our blood relatives may share our natural DNA yet that’s it.

We are to love our natural family to the best of our ability, yet our highest priority is to do the will of our heavenly Father. The natural family of Jesus did not always get His agenda. He chose to do the will of the Father over their desires.

Who is My Family?

The people who come along side you, support you (what is godly-not what is ungodly), love you, are loyal to you, and speak truth in love are family. The Godhead is my greatest family, support, and through them I acquired an amazing family that will continue on in eternity. My hope is to also cultivate safe places for others in His Kingdom to have family. I open my home at least one holiday to those without natural family to be loved on, fed, and included. Why? My family reaches beyond those who share my DNA. God’s family became my family when I entered covenant with Jesus.

Jesus had siblings, Mary and Joseph had additional children which would be His half siblings (see the passage at the beginning of this devotion). One of His siblings was named Jacob who wrote the book of James.

One would think growing up with Jesus who did not sin, there would be some form of validation of the diety of Jesus. Yet the natural family of Jesus did not always see who He was nor understand what He was called to do.

When Jesus was younger He stayed behind in the temple and when His parents confronted Him about it, He replied, “Did you not know I would be about My Father’s business?”

After being separated from him for three days, they finally found him in the temple, sitting among the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard Jesus speak were astounded at his intelligent understanding of all that was being discussed and at his wise answers to their questions.

His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?”

Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?”

Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant,~Luke 2:46-50 the Passion Translation.

We may be called to things by God our friends and natural family do not understand. We may be the black sheep, scapegoat, or outcast in our own natural family. We may be misunderstood, persecuted, ignored, or mistreated by the ones who share our DNA. This is sad, yet there is an eternal family excited to know us. We are never without family if we are in Jesus. We become grafted into a holy family. There is not perfection in the church, yet there is in God. There are some really great people who do love well, who are supportive, who will celebrate the way God created us. God sets us in families and the natural family is not the only one.

If your natural family is not a safe, loving, supportive, or good place-know God has a family for you and it’s His family. If you lost loved ones and have no natural family living, know God has a family for you and it’s His family. If you have a deep longing for community and love, know God has a family and it’s His family. You are not alone nor without family. Someone may just be praying for someone like you. You belong in the greatest, most noble, and royal family.

And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus,~Ephesians 3:6.

You have all become true children of God by the faith of Jesus the Anointed One! It was faith that immersed you into Jesus, the Anointed One, and now you are covered and clothed with his anointing. And we no longer see each other in our former state—Jew or non-Jew, rich or poor, male or female—because we’re all one through our union with Jesus Christ with no distinction between us,~Galatians 3:26-28 the Passion Translation.

If you do not have a spiritual family, ask God for one. God loves to set up family. Family is more than a spouse and kids. Family is a committed group of people who choose love over and over and over. It is a committment to love. God wants us in a community where we are valued, cared for, celebrated, honored, supported (what is godly is supported), and treated with respect/dignity. God will answer our prayers to be connected to a healthy, thriving tribe.

Papa God I ask for true family for everyone who reads this. I ask that your Holy Spirit wash over each person and fill any voids from natural family. I ask for divine appointments to find their tribe and may it be a safe place, loving place, healing place, and full of your goodness. I ask God for every person to have connections where they are genuinely loved. Set up the divine appointments for godly family. Help each one to invest in those families and thrive! Heal any wounds created by natural families and heal any grief from lost families. In Jesus powerful name.

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

P.S Book 2 Confident & Free will be released this month 7/7/2018. I hope you pick it up on Amazon or my company website https://www.empowered-free.com.