Read: 1 Timothy 5:1–8
And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8
We are supposed to take care of each other. That is a central message in this letter to a young pastor named Timothy. Treat old men as if they are our fathers, tend to older women as if they are our mothers. Young men and women are to be regarded as siblings. Therefore, all people are to be treated as if they are family members—because they are! And our responsibility is to provide for family members in need. To shirk our duty to tend to people in need is to forsake the faith we claim to believe in and live by. Moral support, financial support, and relational support are the central work of pastors and people who claim to be followers of Jesus. Our faith is only as real as our care.
Do you treat the people around you as carefully as your family?
Lord, you are our Creator, you are our eternal parent, you are the originator of our human family. Thank you for reminding us in scripture that we are all connected. We are related—to you and to one another. Therefore, we are supposed to offer familial support and care to everyone we meet. That is an expansive request, Lord—one we need your daily assistance to meet. Help us to embrace and support all our family members—help them to become as dear to us as they are to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN.