All purity

Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 5
1 Timothy 5:1-2 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

The church is to operate like a family. Older men are like fathers to us. Younger men are like brothers. Older women are like mothers and younger women like sisters. This is Christ's church.

If you grew up in a healthy, whole family environment this is easy and hard at the same time. It is easy because you know what it is like to live with a father, mother, sisters and brothers. You understand the love, mercy and grace that come from a good family. It is hard in that you already have a family and therefore you are not 'needy' to have the people in the church for your family.

If you grew up in a broken family this is easy and hard at the same time. It is hard in that you do not have the experience of knowing the love, mercy and grace of a whole family. It is easy in that the church becomes the family that you never had.

In the church we both give and receive. We give love, grace and encouragement. We give our gifts and our service. We receive these things from others.

Let us prayerfully consider one another in the church. Let us love and live like a family. Let us prayerfully realize how we can give as brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. For some, we are the only family they have. For others, we are learning from them how to be better and more mature Christians. Some we teach; others learn from us.

In Christ,
Rody