FAMILY MATTERS – THE CULTURE

Amos 3:2 (KJV)
“You only have I known form all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Family, they say, is the smallest unit of society. The family is an important part of society; it is tasked with the responsibility of providing care, support, nourishment, and nurture for its members. Our text today reveals that of old, God chose to adopt the people of Israel as his family of choice. As such, they became special people separate from all others.

Because of them being God’s family, they enjoyed God’s divine providence in ways no other nation around them did. They were preserved and kept and later on enjoyed the great privilege of having God become flesh through their lineage. However, also because of this connection to God, they were not permitted to live their lives like other nations around them. They were not to imitate or imbibe the customs of their neighbors but were to imbibe and follow the custom of God’s family. Time and time again, they underwent discipline when they went against God’s instructions.

Today, all who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ are now members of God’s family (Eph 2:19). Therefore, you must understand that your culture and custom differs from that of the world, which is why Romans 12 verse 2 (NLT) reads “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect”. As members of God’s family, you must learn to allow the word of God shape your thoughts, desires, and worldview; you must learn to resist the allure and enticement of the world’s way, and tenaciously hold on to the righteous way of God.

If you belong to God’s family, then let your light shine.

—Ikechukwu Mpama

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 7-8