Daily Jewel

by   Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“It’s a Family Thing!”  

“Say to Wisdom, you are my sister...” – Proverbs 7:4 (NIV)

It appears that in the last couple of days I have been on a “family kick,” in my messages revealing some very delicate issues of my past so I guess there is no reason to stop now. 

Although I do have siblings I was raised as an only child.  (It is a long story that there is not near enough time to go into great detail here.)  Let me just say that I did not know what it was like to have a brother or sister to fight with, bother, tease or even talk to.  A good portion of my childhood was spent with me in my room either watching television or listening to the radio.

With that said I think I understand why Solomon uses this as an analogy—what is more important in regard to human relationships than that of family?  And although sibling rivalry has probably been given a bad-rap through the ages, there is something special when it comes to the bonds between brothers and or sisters.

Now, one might argue that the Bible may not be the best place to make this statement since there are some rather extreme encounters that would prove otherwise.  For example, Cain to Abel, “You were always the favorite!”  Esau to Jacob; “You are nothing but a Momma’s boy!”  Joseph’s brothers to Joseph; “We know what to do with tattle-tells!”  Unfortunately, there are a number of not so funny examples where lives were hurt (and destroyed) by jealousy, greed and power. 

Even Solomon himself was not exempt from such rivalry.  He was around to witness one of his step-brothers (Amnon) seduce and then rape a step-sister and then another step-brother (Absolam) out of anger and revenge kills Amnon.  There is no “made for TV” scenario that could play out situations any more intense than what we find here.

So how can we apply what Solomon is saying here without remembering all of the times we would have just as soon “choked” or flattened a brother or sister rather than embrace them in love and appreciation?  

Something I noticed with my own children—and I can certainly remember the times when I felt more like a referee than a father—that even though they may not have embraced each other at all times they certainly stood up for each other when times called for it.  They supported each other in their activities and were there to congratulate one another on their accomplishments.  They understood then and even in their adulthood, how important the bonds they have are.  Friends will come and go—but family is with you forever and we should do everything in our power to appreciate one another—protect one another and embrace one another.

Say to wisdom—you are a member of my family!  Other things in life, as important as they are (like friends) may come and go:  Wealth, fame, power, possessions, etc., but family should be guarded to the utmost degree, and the wisdom of God which comes directly from His heart is top priority. 

You may not have had the best experiences in your life in regard to family issues.  And some of the Biblical examples I mentioned earlier are vivid reminders that no one is exempt from having difficult, life-altering encounters when it comes to family.  But consider this as a conclusion:  Despite their earlier rivalry, Jacob and Esau made amends and learned to live in peace.  Joseph showed compassion on his brothers and from that came the twelve tribes.  Are family’s perfect?  By no means.  We have problems and as long as we are on this earth will continue to have problems.  But God’s wisdom (and heart) is perfect and as long as we cling to that our lives will have strength, purpose and joy.