Mon Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

At some point in life, either as kids or maybe later as parents, most of us are a part of an old tradition called the family portrait. Nearly everyone has at least one professional portrait hanging on the wall. They tend to be expensive and time consuming, and because of the cost in money and time, those portraits represent great expectations. When you have a family portrait made someone—usually the “mom” in the picture—does the planning. They go into it wanting everything to be literally picture perfect. You know the routine… matching outfits, hair in place, and a big Hollywood smile. They all have the same goal— when anyone sees that picture, we want them to see a picture- perfect family; a family that never fusses, never fights, smiles all the time, gives each other a lot of love. As we all know that picture on the wall does not always represent reality.

Can you imagine the scene of this picture being made? Do you think it was the calm and peaceful result, or was there chaos before the shutter of the camera snapped? Did everyone really want to wear what they were wearing, and did we all think we looked good after the fact, or not? Don't we all have great expectations for our family? We want the family that others see in that family portrait to be the family that lives together every day. When you get married, you have that picture perfect family in your mind —the husband, the wife, the two children, the dog and it is just all one big happy family all the time.

We also know the hard truth in our real family is not the one hanging on the wall. The real family is the one that lives in your home day in and day out. The real family does not always live up to the expectations of that family portrait.

Here is the good news. God only has one expectation for the family. His one expectation is this - God desires for the family to glorify Him by fulfilling the unique roles and responsibilities He has given to each member of the family. When everyone in the family understands what their role is in that family and what their responsibility is to that family and then fulfills that role and meets that responsibility, God is glorified and in His eyes it is a picture perfect family.

"God is the One who made all things, and all things are for His glory. He wanted to have many children share His glory." Hebrews 2:10

Let me emphasize that God understands that we are not always going to be "picture perfect". Just like an engine that doesn't always hit on all cylinders; neither will the family. There are times when a family remembers that it is all about God and His glory and they get it right. There are even times when dealing with our mess ups and faults that God's glory shines through in a picture perfect way.

What does your family portrait look like when God's glory is shining through?