One of the areas of spiritual growth that has been on my mind recently is the area of relationships with other people-our spouse, our family, our church family, and our extended family. Several years ago, I wrote a series of lessons to use as a study guide with my book JUST WALKING. The workbook was never published and had almost forgotten about it. I have been looking at this again and many of the points that I covered in that study have been on my heart again. Guess I will share them for a new audience.

WALKING WITH YOUR CHURCH FAMILY

"Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." I Thessalonians 5:11

If we are to grow spiritually, we must love one another. We need to remember that we are a family. My own family is filled with adopted children. I have a niece, a nephew and two grandchildren and one foster child who are a part of our immediate family. They are our children and are treated no differently than birth children. We love each child in our family differently, but we love them all the same. To God, we are just like that. We are his adopted children, and we belong to the same family. Think about your church family. I encourage you to list at least five people who you feel truly are your brothers and sisters. Thank God for them and pray for them as you do your physical family.

So often in our church family as in our physical family people are hurt by careless or thoughtless actions and words. If we are to grow spiritually, we need to be careful with our words and actions toward our church family. This week I encourage you to list three things you can do personally to keep members of your church family from being hurt either physically or spiritually.

Have you hurt someone in your church family unintentionally? Today is the day for forgiveness. Ask for forgiveness from the person and from God. Pray for the person. And then leave it there at the foot of the cross. Burdens are not meant to be carried forever. Grudges, hurt feelings and unforgiving attitudes are not meant to be a part of the family of God. When our relationship with God's children increases and becomes more loving so then does our love for God.

Pray that God will present you with the opportunity to encourage someone this week. Pray for your church family that you might walk with them on the road to spiritual growth that the world may see Christ and you may walk in the abundant life Christ wants you to have.

Praying and making my lists too.

WALKING WITH HIM Clella