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Sometimes, within families of several children, a parent, no matter how they try, cannot manifest a perceived impartiality. Children internalize this is bias (real or imagined), and often it as internalized as a lack of love, or as not being loved as much as other children. This can lead to an array of problems. There can be scars that last a lifetime. As any parent knows, this is almost always not true. However, can family love actually be qualitative and quantitative? Is love within God’s family this way? Is God’s love this way? To understand, we must turn to God and His Word - not as the last resort, but as the first. He is the author of family (Psalm 68:4-6; Genesis 9:1).

Human love can be qualitative and quantitative. That will be so as long as we remain human. Conversely, a parents’ manifestation of love is most often a response to personalities, natures and needs - not necessarily an indication of the amount or quality of love ("different strokes for different folks" again...). There is a factor in childrearing that is missing in many family relationships. It is laid heavy upon parents. Parents often feel that their children, after the children become young adults, owe them respect, honor, and love. Parents often forget that these things now need to be earned - regardless of whether the children expect them to be or not. This will in time lay the foundation for a new relationship that will include all the wonderful aspects of a family of adults. Too many lean on the principle of obligation, rather than on action-love toward the children as equals within bond of love. The same love intensity, but expressed now between adults. Perhaps someone should feel obligated to love and honor us, but that is not the position from which to build genuine love. Yes, there are works in love (1 John 3:18). Love - true love - must be worked at. It is sacrificial, as all love is sacrificial.

Also, all Christian families should understand that they cannot call, choose, or save their children. Parents must do all the things that Christian parents must do (Psalm 22:6). Even if they turn out to be respectful, honoring, loving, loyal, and caring - wonderfully "good" children, it still remains for God to make them God-children. Truly, as someone has said, their hearts are in God’s hands. It is equally important to realize that there is no specific method by which God must deal with our children. The path to conversion is often presumed to be like the parents, as others have been, or according to religious formats, etc. We can "put God in our box" about this matter, unless we are very careful. God knows our children’s hearts and spirits perfectly. As difficult as it is to believe sometimes, we do not really know their hearts. In truth, no one knows another's heart. Each family member is "one of a kind". There has never been, neither will there ever be another exactly like your child. Uniqueness requires unique handling. Only God knows all the uniqueness'. We may influence, but not dictate. We may even give advice - if asked. Above all we must love and pray - and wait (Psalm 31:15). Patience, in this, is golden...

The Bible, from one view point, is the history of family, beginning with Adam and Eve, Noah, and then with Abraham the family expansion leading up to and including Joseph and Mary, and Jesus the Christ. Throughout biblical history it has been about families, for the better and for the worse. No other relational unit has more potential for joy, accomplishment, and love. And no other has more potential for unhappiness, war, destruction and evil. A casual look at families that have become nations makes this self evident. Even during these times, there has been a concerted effort by Satan to undermine and destroy God's original concept of family. Today, as never before there appears to be an all out effort not only to destroy ;properl family influence, but to redefine the God-defined, God-ordained family! Family is being redefined in terms of the basest of fallen man. A TV channel now appeals to a "new kind of family". Even Greece and Rome knew the value of a proper family, if only in functional and practical ways.The destruction of the family has been a root cause of almost every nation's decline and fall in all human history. Satan knows that it is within the family that the basics of relationship begin - with others, and especially with God. It is here that the dye is cast and the stage is set. If it is cast and set wrong, God seems farther and farther away...the one rocking the cradle rules the world.

When God created man, He put within the human mind and heart the capacity for a variety of relationships that are designated as friend, brother/sister, father, mother, servant, slave, etc. Jesus called the disciples first servants, then friends (John 15:15). God called Abraham His friend (James 2:23). God called Moses His servant (Numbers 12:7). Jesus said that to be considered great, one must be a slave (Grk) to all (Matthew 10:44). Does this imply that God’s love is quantitative and therefore qualitative? Is God arbitrary? Is the love of God a variable - like an alternating electric current that ebbs and flows according to the relative value that He places on each of us? In Christ, all are manifestations of LOVE. These do not represent degrees, amounts or quantities of love - but the outworking of His constant and abiding love, adapted, shaped and adjusted for specific functions, times, and seasons, within the purposes of Christ. All, with many others not named, taken together, form the family of God in embryo, in the womb of the earth. The earth will eventually birth the immortal family of God (John 5:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). But with all of them God had pefect love, valued each the same, while working within the framework of individual personalities. There was, is, and will forever be no partiality from God (Acts 10:34)! God is the same - yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)...

In the Family of God made immortal, there will be no misunderstood manifestations of love, no favoritism, no jealousies, no mixed signals, no second rate children, no "bad seed", no doubts about our Father’s love. There will be no jealousies, envies, hurts, hidden agendas, or "political correctness". How can there be, when we are truly one in Him, and Jesus in us, Jesus - the Father's Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18)? Firstborn implies that there are others - the next born from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16). There will be things to do with our brothers and sitters in the Father's family, in a dimension and environment of bliss, peace, and glorious beauty that we now can only imagine. The beautiful One will be our Light in the beautiful city made beautiful by Jesus Christ our light (Isaiah 52:1; Revelation 21:23-24).

But before this, there will be much to do, during a thousand years of world peace and prosperity under the rule of Jesus Christ after He returns (Revelation 20:1-4). The entire world will learn, among many other things, how to live together as family - something that it will never learn, until Jesus comes the next time in power and authority (Revelation 19:1-16). You and I, if we are faithful now, will be privileged to rule with Him in some capacity (Luke 19:12-26). At this time, we are being trained in family skills - through our personal families, in the church family, and as members of a very dysfunctional family for now - called "the world". We will finally get there if we endure (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). We will become immortal sons and daughters of God Himself. We will finally be able to live together - in a new heavens and a new earth, "wherein dwells righteousness"

I pray that you will be there, too... as my brother or sister in Christ, in that eternal city not made by human hands (Hebrews 13:14) - forever...

"And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say: "Come!" And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge. The one who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all"- Revelation 22:17,20-21

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

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