Coming Home

My family and I recently moved back to our home town after being away for nine years. There was such an excitement to encounter new opportunities, to spend time with family again, to get back to our roots, and to see what God had in store for us. However being back home has brought a whole new array of insecurities that we weren’t prepared to handle.

When we were in a city away from our hometown, my husband and I were able to establish a legacy all our own that did not revolve around family members. We love our families dearly; but living so close to them now, we have had to accept the struggles that go with being nearby.

Also, we cannot turn our backs so easily when we see a need arise among them because we are only minutes away from the situation. We started to feel very overwhelmed within the first few weeks of our move. Questions started to arise in our thoughts.

What if we never get a chance to minister to the rest of our new church because we are spending all our time tending to our families’ needs? What if we get sucked into a well of obligations and start to lose sight of our own goals and dreams? Praise God the Holy Spirit did not allow us to sit and ponder too long.

God spoke very clearly to us that how we handle family issues, prepares us to handle issues of the lost and other believers. We should be honored to help those we love and feel blessed to help a relative in need. In fact, 1Timothy 3:5 asks the question, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

Wow! God is very precise here. Our families are NOT burdens, rather they are an opportunity to serve our precious Father.

Memory Verse:
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
– 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV)

Prayer Prompt:
“Lord, thank You for the gift of family. Even though times can get tough, and emotions often run high, You created us to live in peace and harmony with our relatives. Help me see them as You do. Let Your light shine through me, and let me be a witness of grace and love as I interact with . . .”

Contributing Writer:
Susie Mozisek