“My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God” (Luke 8:21).

Where is home for you?

If you live long enough, and if you move around enough, the answer to that question will be a moving target. When I was growing up, home was a small town in Alabama. Recently Marlene and I moved for the 11th time in 46 years. That seems like a lot until you realize the Census Bureau says the average American moves 11.7 times.

On a trip to Atlanta, I called Marlene and left a message saying I was looking forward to coming home. I ­didn’t mean I was looking forward to the house where we were living. When I got home, I ­didn’t hug the drapes and say, “Drapes, I’m glad to see you.” I ­didn’t say to the rug, “Oh, rug, I missed you so much.” The house is beautiful, but it is home because the people I love live there. Home to me is where they are, and if they are not there, it ­doesn’t seem like home at all.

That truth underlies the words of Jesus in Luke 8:21.

God’s family is huge, and it includes everyone who believes in Jesus. It’s not limited to one race or one culture or one nationality. That’s the mistake some Jews made in the first century. They thought being a physical descendant of Abraham made them part of God’s family. But God doesn’t judge by the name on the birth certificate. He checks your spiritual DNA. Do you know Jesus? Have you trusted him as your Savior? Do you follow his teaching?

Christ came to bring you into God’s Forever Family. You can be at home anywhere on earth because God has his people everywhere.

I was part of a group that visited a house church in China. There were perhaps 50 people crowded into one small apartment. We began by singing and praying for 40 minutes. Then I preached. Then we sang some more along with exhortations by the pastor. It was a long service by American standards, but the people were in no hurry to go home. When we finished, everyone stayed for lunch, laughing and talking and sharing together. Although I know very little Chinese, I felt right at home. They welcomed us as if we had known them forever. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

When you follow Jesus, you meet his brothers and sisters wherever you go. Then when you die, you meet him face to face. What a deal! Nothing on earth could top that.

Spirit of God, thank you for making me part of a family so large that it will take eternity to meet all my brothers and sisters. Amen.

Musical bonus: Suppose you took the melody of “Come Thou Fount” and gave it Christmas lyrics. Would that work? A group called We Are Messengers took that challenge and produced a gospel-centered Christmas song called This is Jesus.