Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Dec 2, 2024 - Family”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsFamily
Reading: 1 Timothy 5:1-8
Paul stresses family ties throughout this section. Timothy needs to treat the members of the Ephesian church like he would treat his own family. “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”(1 Tim 5:1-2). Older men deserve the respect of a father; older women the respect of a mother. Calling Timothy’s contemporaries brothers and sisters implies tenderness and closeness, yet he also warns him to maintain “all purity.” The family connection should affect how we talk with (and about) each other, how we resolve conflict, and how we respond to conflict together. Christians are family. We should bring the best of family dynamics to our interactions with each other.
Paul also advises Timothy to be judicious in how the church handles widows. “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”(1 Tim 5:3-4). Christians should repay their parents by caring for them in their old age, acknowledging the sacrifice they have made by raising us. “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 Tim 5:8). These are strong words. It is not enough to provide for ourselves; there are many others related to us to whom we have obligations. Those who do not respect family bonds are not following Jesus.
God has expectations about families. He wants us to love our families, treat them with kindness, and care for them when in need. What is surprising is that how we live with our families inevitably influences the health of a local church. If we will not care for our families, the church may be burdened (1 Tim 5:16). If we do not know how to treat a father, mother, sister, or brother, then we will fail to treat our Christian brethren appropriately. No one has an ideal family life, but we can all love our brothers and sisters like family and honor our parents.
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One Thing to Think About: Do I treat my brothers and sisters like family?
One Thing to Pray For: Loving families, both physical and spiritual
