Few months ago, I led my daughter to Christ. It is one experience she will never forget in a hurry. She kept the date fresh on her mind and always talked about it whenever opportunity presents itself. Few days after she got born again, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “she is now your sister”. What? My sister? I knew the Holy Spirit was passing a message across to me via that conversation.
Friend, thank God for biological relationships but there is the reality of Kingdom relationship we must be aware of. I was teaching in Church last month where I said this to married people; “don’t only see your spouse as your wife or husband, also see him or her as your brother or sister in the Lord. This will define and revolutionise your relationship with him or her.” Sometimes we can be too natural with ourselves that we forget who we are in God (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).
When you see your spouse as your sister or brother in the Lord, you would not want to hurt her. You would realise that both of you are responsible and accountable to the same Heavenly Father. You would start seeing your wife beyond, “I am your husband, listen to me!” You would start seeing your husband beyond natural but see the loving kingdom relationship with a fellow believer. It would change the atmosphere of your home for good.
Did you notice that Paul told Timothy to see young ladies as sisters and relate with them with all purity (1 Timothy 5:2)? What a wisdom for young men to keep themselves sexually pure with the opposite sex! When you see that young lady in the choir as your sister in the Lord, you will not contemplate violating her sexually. When you see your employee or employer as a brother or sister in the Lord (if they are born again) you won’t cheat him or her.
When Pastors see their Church members as fellow brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same Father, it would help them to tone down their ego and relate healthily with the flock. Pastoring is a Holy entrustment given us by our Father God to provide leadership for our siblings in the same family (1 Peter 5:1-4). We must never forget this. We must provide leadership that is consistent with this truth
One of the best helps you can offer people who are in physical/biological relationship with you is to get them born again. The blood of Jesus that saved us is thicker than the biological blood. The only way you can rejoice over a departed loved one is to know that he or she has gone ahead of you and that you would soon meet in your Heavenly Father’s house. It’s time to review our relationships in the light of the Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). May the Lord help us! Amen!
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria