I Accepted Christ: Now What?Sample

Meeting the Family

The first time I met my wife’s family, I had all the normal anxiety that comes from meeting “the in-laws.” But to make matters worse, our families were like night and day. My family is small. Hers is huge. Mine speaks English, and her family speaks Spanish. From money and religion to everything in between, we were just different.

When God adopts us into His family, we don’t just gain a Father. We gain a family. Unfortunately, the first time I showed up to a Bible study at church to meet this family, it was just as terrifying as meeting the future in-laws for the first time.

On the surface, it can look like you have nothing in common with other believers. Yet every believer on the planet, from every nation, every race, and every culture, shares one very important quality—at some point, they recognized their sin and desperate need for a Savior. We may be at different points in the journey, but we’re all heading in the same direction. We’re all trying to look like Jesus. Because of this, there is unity to be had in the family of God unlike any other.

Jesus prayed for His believers to experience this unity. It might be scary, but we can’t allow fear to keep us from surrounding ourselves with fellow believers. Christianity cannot thrive in isolation. We need to regularly go to church, attend small-group studies, and develop discipleship relationships. We must be vulnerable enough to allow ourselves to be known by the rest of the family.

But we can only experience it when we dare to show up. Will you?

Do you have friends who help you grow in your relationship with God? If not, commit to going to where other Christians are to develop those relationships.