Here is my Family

"Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!  Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."  Mark 3:35

We face rejection in some way shape or form all throughout our life.  Unfortunately we often allow it to reshape us from what God wants us to be.  This reshaping distorts what God is doing which is restoring us to the image of his son.  In spite of our rejection we find acceptance and grace at the feet of the father.  But what is God's will?  Essentially is everything we've been saying in this series of coming closer to God.  The Gospel of John gives us a bit of insight on that will.  

 ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:37-39

Jesus made it clear that the will of the father was that none should fall away; that Jesus should never lose any that God has given him and the reality in that verse is that when we follow Jesus through rejection we are doing the will of the father.  When we suffer as he suffered, He is in turn bringing us closer to the father.  But also look at verse 40, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."  Brilliant isn't it?  Not only does he not reject those who call on his name, he says no matter what I will raise you up.   

We often find this hard to believe that God won't reject us when we call on him first for salvation and that we can experience a life of transformation.  Many of us feel we are too far gone.  We've done too much.  The beauty of the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation is that God doesn't reject those who are his Mother, Brothers, and Sisters.  Consider what the Scripture teaches:  Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a Gossip, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, Lazarus was dead.

If you haven't already, establish a relationship with Christ today and begin to apply his principles to your life and experience the life changing transformation that is closer proximity with God.  I promise you, he won't turn you away! 

Further Reading:

John 6:25-71

Searching for God Knows What, by Donald Miller

Transformation, by Bob Roberts Jr.