God Sets Us In Families

Is your family a safe place? Do you live free from condemnation and guilt? How about your church? God created man because He wanted a family. ^“God sets the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6 NKJV). The New American Standard Bible puts it this way. “God makes a home for the lonely.” A family according to the dictionary is “a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.” That sounds sterile and cold like many families are. However, a family should be a place of unconditional love, acceptance, learning, fellowship, fun, and safety. It’s like grace—love apart from any merit, performance, failure, and shame.

The church should be the same. Unfortunately, the church is not always an accepting family. In the world, we are alone. That’s why God sets the lonely in families. The family might meet in a large beautiful building, or a storefront, but it should be a family. Does your church feel like a family? On the other hand, is it an army, or a business, or a Sunday go-to-meeting place. Is everyone loved regardless? Or do they have to meet your standards before being accepted? God places people in real families where you treat them as He treats us.