Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:1-8 ESV)
Honor an older man and encourage them as you would a father and a younger man honor them as you would a brother. An older woman treat her with respect like you would your mother and younger women treat as you would your sister…
Now think about how you treat your family… Should you treat your family as you do? Or should there be more respect for them? In our society in the USA today we do not count on our families like we use to. Our extended families would be the back bone of our existence. Now we can make it as an individual and leave our family behind. We go off in search of the golden ring that will be our ticket to the good life, and do not worry about anyone else.
Or worse, we are so hung up on the rules of living a right relationship we shun our family because they are breaking the rules and living a life of sin. They are doing things that will not get them into heaven and therefore I can not have them in my life so they become a leper or worse and must be shunned out of our family. They need to figure out what they are doing wrong and need to correct it before I will love them and support them. Yes just like God did to you…
God told each of us that we had to have it all together before we would be welcomed at His table, at His house… No that is not how it went. God welcomed us into His family when we did not deserve it. He took us in and loved us in spite of our wrongs, inspite of our sins.
So care for your relatives and love them as God loves you. And do not leave them to fend for themselves, because we all know life is better lived with others to help with the struggles of the journey…
aSacredRebel 