It’s A Family Affair… Good morning, Hump Day Readers. I’m sharing an interesting devotion in regards to family difficulties. In the past few weeks, I’ve had my own family sharing about stuff, and friends and it all boils down to an exasperating question: “What can I do with my difficult family?”

First, I think we need to make sure who is the one that is difficult. What you are seeing in your mirror just may be part of the problem! Most of us know that families don’t always run smoothly. In our society today, families are more scattered than ever before. Used to be we stayed close to home, perhaps maybe the job your dad had you now have, or a family business, farm, etc. In our fast-moving technical age, so much changes and we leave home from Wisconsin to work 2008 miles away in the Sonoran Desert! That was Al’s and my choice and we love it but it does cut us off from intimate family gatherings.

What family difficulties you are going through now or recently? Think it through, the words said, the comfort given—or not; let your mind go down every path as you tried to resolve the difficulties, or not. Was it frustrating—of course! Was working through things worth it, I hope so. Will it be the last time—heavens no! But, don’t feel alone. Jesus had a difficult family, too. We often forget he had brothers and sisters. Let’s take a peek inside of Jesus’ family; I’m using just 3 of many ideas that I’ve culled from pastors/writers/theologians and history.

First: Jesus would have been without peer in intellect and wisdom. He was astounding temple rabbis by age 12! Imagine a perfect, gifted sibling—that could be difficult indeed!

Second: Jesus’ consistent and extraordinary moral character must have made him odd and unnerving to be around. Certainly his siblings would have grown increasingly self-conscious around him and no doubt compared by from other family and friends. In my day we would have called him a “goodie-two-shoes!”

Third: Jesus was deeply and uniquely loved by Mary and Joseph who knew He was God in the flesh. So, imagine their extraordinary trust in and deference to Jesus as he grew older. How well would that play out with his siblings? Truly they lived in a different dimension in both word and action. I think they would say “you can never measure up around our brother.”

To sum it up: Jesus out-classed his siblings in every category. How could anyone with an active sin nature not resent being eclipsed by such a phenom-brother? Remember, familiarity breeds contempt when pride rules the heart. Think on this: more pain than we know must have been behind Jesus’ words, “a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matthew 13:57). Wow, that had to be hard.

In Mark 3:20-21 [Voice] we get a glimpse of his family’s perception: “Jesus and His disciples went into a house to eat, but so many people pressed in to see Jesus that they could not be served. When Jesus’ family heard about this craziness, they went to drag Him out of that place.”

For me, it hurt to think Jesus’ siblings weren’t proud of him—rather they were embarrassed! But one thing that stood out to me as I worked on this devotion was the fact that Jesus never tried to control his family and their behavior; and even more importantly Jesus did not let their behavior control him. And perhaps in all this is where the wisdom we seek is found. We cannot control our families no matter what we try. The best we can do is work together, stem bitter and angry thoughts and actions, and keep them in our prayers and most importantly, always be there for them no matter what—and that is the hardest thing of all!

In the meantime, we can take Jesus’ lead on family difficulties so our own lives are not impacted with grief, separation, etc. Jesus turned to his spiritual family because they could provide what his physical family could not. Look at it this way: if Jesus couldn’t get his family to accept who he was, what he was sent to do and the conviction from God he had to live, what makes us think we can force this on our family members?

In closing, think of “tough love” – it’s not easy but there are times we are not the ones to wrestle with family difficulties. It is in those times we go to our spiritual family to be nourished, filled with wisdom, encouraged, and filled with new hope. Don’t ever give up on your family. For me, it helps to be 2008 miles away and stay on my knees in prayer for them rather than getting in the middle of a fight that has no good outcome! AMEN.