If you grew up in a healthy family environment you should consider yourself blessed. Not many of us grew up in a House of Peace (Luke 10). Many adults still shows signs of dysfunction. So how do we love and function as a community as we gather together to do House Church?
A new book by John C. White, Toni M. Daniels and Dr. Kent Smith addresses this and other topics in Relational Revolution. I highly recommend purchasing a copy. Below is an short excerpt from a chapter called “Maturing Spiritual Parents”.
Unfortunately, many of us did not have the privilege of healthy family bonds that help us grow into families of peace. In communities of practice, we spiritual moms and dads (at the adult, parenting and eldering stages of maturity) train each other in the skills we missed growing up. As we mature emotionally, we establish houses of peace where God’s good news overflows in us and through us. We are able to love the younger and weaker in our midst and compassionately accompany them wherever they are in their stage of development.
God is in the business of re-parenting us, inviting us into a life-giving family (the Trinity) and connecting us with brothers and sisters with whom we can train. We do not have to have all the answers; we do not do all the work. Christ commands us to “call on the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers.” It is our privilege to find each other, connect together, and train one another to continue to be “houses of peace” spiritual parents for those in need, not only in our own homes but in our extended families and beloved communities.
Becoming and training emotionally mature spiritual moms and dads is rarely ever a working concept in most current church systems. Intellectual maturity, gifting maturity, social maturity might be expected from leaders, however, none of these maturities actually ensure that we love one another. And sadly, spiritual maturity is often defined by how well we know Biblical principles, not how closely we sense God with us.
If we do not have emotional maturity then it will be increasingly hard to love those around us, especially those who disagree with us.
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