Whoever does the will of my Father …
is my brother and sister and mother.
—Matthew 13:50
“Blood is thicker than water” goes the old German proverb. It doesn’t get much better than being part of a family whose greatest joy is being together.
It didn’t work out that way for Jesus. His brothers didn’t hang out with him. They thought he was batty, squirrelly as they come.
But that changed. After his resurrection and ascension they became gung-ho disciples. His brother James emerged as leader of the Jerusalem church, and his brother Jude wrote the next-to-last book in your Bible.
If you’ve been bruised by a fractured family relationship, don’t count out the possibility that there may be another chapter—a chapter that may be written even after you are gone.
An antagonistic son, rebellious daughter, or alienated companion may feel the tug of your good life, and change their tune.
Never underestimate the ultimate
influence of a good life.