Storge - Family Love, Touching Lives

 Proverbs 8:31 And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!

The old saying is that you don't know what you got till it’s gone. We are only given an allotted amount of time on God’s green Earth, here in this specific time, in this specific place, within our specific biological family of blood relatives, so we need to make the most of our God-given kindred relationships before they are gone and we missed the natural experience of “Family Love”. I have discovered that I love my family and those family reunions that we have; finding that "blood is thicker than water" means a foundational love identity and bond in the ties "my family". They are all mine and that means something deep and solid. We can pick many things, but God picks the family that we are born into and maybe that's the glue. Sure, I have to distance myself socially from some worldly family members because of their willfully lifestyle that contradicts Christian values and are hostile to them on a argumentive level, but they is still my family, so you never stop loving them. 1 Peter 4:8 says, " Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Be more Christ-like. Family love never changes and if they were in trouble, I shall help, but not to be used as an "enabler". We don't accept or ignore sin, just as God doesn't, but there is grace. We must remember that "except by the grace of God, there walk I", but we live there no longer, as a child of God, we walk in the Spirit following Christ ... tripping, but getting back up holding the Lord hand.

Proverbs 7:4  “Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.”

Relationships, including family relationships, can be complicated (by different personalities, desires, devotion, direction, or the lack thereof), yet family love (the Greek word -Storge) can be one of the deepest feeling next to the love of God (Agape) and the love of a spouse (Eros). I love my grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, brothers, sisters and cousins, nephews and nieces  ... my God-given family. We seem to lose sight of this in the busyness of our daily life routines and the distractions of life, if we don't keep our hearts right (the mind will follow). But, who do we long for and call and write and go see, and cling to for deep comfort when the house (metaphorically) falls (small or big problems) but that foundation - Agape, Eros, Storge, then Philia love? Love is the foundation. Care is the natural outflow of love. Action is the natural outflow of care. As I wrote above, If we seem to lose sight of real true love (God, spouse, family, and friends) in the busyness of our daily life routines and the distractions for life, (its there but not in our mind's eye), we lose the care (we don’t make the touch), because our immediate care is for what is currently in front of us (eyes & mind), and we lose the action of seeing, calling, writing, etc. - touching. The old saying is: “the proof is in the pudding” – translated means “the care is in the action (the touch) that demonstrates the love”. I see older family members now, honoring their roots in the love of their family with their own personal reunions before they go to be with the Lord, the heavenly family of God, and it touches my heart.  They demonstrate their love of family by taking the action of driving and visiting family because they truly care. They realize that they have more days behind the cart than are in front of their horse (so to speak) and nobody is promised tomorrow, so love while you can. They love the family all the time, even when they is not visiting, because (storge) family love is the foundation ... its always there. The care for family is there based upon the foundational love of family ... its there too. But “demonstrating” that love and care touches the family and experienced in action ... seeing family, hugging family, giving them a kiss, talking to family, doing something with them or for them, even writing to family (a card, an email, or a letter) ... giving them love by making the time, taking the time and touching. Can your family see that you love you them? How? I know that this is deep, but love is deep when it's right. Spiritual even. But talk is cheap, and I need to work on improving my love and care of family too, Some family members are more gifted in giving (Storge) family love, but the rest of us need to learn to love family as God intended us to and express it more. What on earth are we here for? Don’t miss the opportunities for (Storge) family love.

Ephesians 1:5 and 2:19b God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

In Christ, Brian