“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Paul is cutting through the religious rhetoric, and telling us not to preach about God’s love, while ignoring the needs of our family. It’s a harsh statement that cuts to the core of our faith. Christianity is not about going to church; it’s about BEING the church… And that means worshiping God and serving those He places in your life.
Dying to yourself is not always about being a martyr… it is more often about being an unnoticed servant. Considering others as more important than yourself is the target, and we don’t hit the target often… probably because we seldom aim at it.
Our culture teaches us to discount people that don’t benefit us. Some adult children seem to think it’s selfish of their parents not to die on time. They feel inconvenienced when asked to care for those who have cared for them. Our society has become so self-centered that it is commonplace for the life of a baby to be spoken of in terms of convenience.
People are created in the image of God, yet we gauge their importance by what they have done for us lately. This leads to the devaluation of the old, disabled, disadvantaged, and the unborn. Its basis is (as always) selfishness with the question being “how does this life improve mine?” If it does, they are valuable – if they are a burden, they are to be discarded. It is a disgustingly egotistical mindset that apparently God views as being worse than an unbeliever.
So, what will you do about this verse? How about re-evaluating your ministry?… It’s sometimes easier to serve those who don’t know us … and we are called to spread the Word to the ends of the earth. But how are we treating those that God has placed right in front of us? Would the ones who know you best say they feel loved and protected by you? God may call some of us to the wilds of Africa to deliver His message, but He first calls all of us to go home and make our family our most important mission field.
"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." - Mother Teresa
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