In 1980, Karen Donovan had an idea that she turned into a business called Rent-A-Wife. She joked that she also wanted to hire out members of her family to start Rent-A-Family. She’s quoted as saying:

We can do what any family does. We can come over and eat all the food, turn on all the lights, put handprints on the walls, take showers and leave the towels on the floor. When clients are finished with Rent-A-Family, they’ll have to call Rent-A-Wife.

Having a family can be a huge benefit. But what do we do when we feel disconnected from family? Know that God loves you and invites you into His family through faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:19-22 says:

So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

How many of you have seen the show The Brady Bunch?

Brady Bunch logo

The premise of the show was that two families came together and became one big family. In one episode, the youngest boy wanted to run away because he didn’t feel loved.

There are no step children in God’s family either.

We’ve been seeing from Ephesians 2 that God makes us one big family in Jesus. Ephesians 2:14 says:

For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.

At that time, there was a lot of tension between the Jews and the Gentiles. But through Jesus, we’re reconciled to God and to one another. So God wants us to be truly reconciled to one another. Romans 12:18 says:

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

No matter how far from God you’ve felt, God invites you to become part of His family. (v. 19)

In the movie The Lion King, Simba runs away and strays from his purpose to be king.

The simple reality is that we were all spiritual foreigners and strangers. But like Simba, once we believe the truth, we will run back to where we ought to be.

The Israelites were even given a reminder about this. Leviticus 19:33-34 says:

When an alien resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You will regard the alien who resides with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

But through Jesus we become fellow citizens of God’s kingdom. We have God the Father as OUR Father. John 1:12 says:

But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name

And 1 John 3:1a says:

See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!

Jesus even talked about how He considers us His brothers and sisters. In Mark 3:35, He said:

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

This doesn’t happen automatically, but through faith in Jesus. He is the truth we must believe in. (v. 20) The apostles were messengers of these things. The prophets foretold these things. Jesus Himself is the cornerstone of our faith.

In 1989, Zig Ziglar found how important it is to have a healthy family. He said:

The evidence is convincing that the better our relationships are at home, the more effective we are in our careers. If we’re having difficulty with a loved one, that difficulty will be translated into reduced performance on the job…The evidence is overwhelming that the family is the strength and foundation of society. Strengthen your family ties and you’ll enhance your opportunity to succeed.

As the Church, we’re God’s prized possession. (v. 21) We can get so focused on our individual salvation that we forget God’s bigger plan. 1 Peter 2:9 says:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We are a PEOPLE for God’s possession. Even while church is often minimized in our culture today, God says that He is building us together as a holy temple.

As individuals, we also each have God’s Spirit in us. (v. 22) Paul was speaking specifically to the church in Ephesus, reminding them that God’s Spirit is in them. But it also stands as a reminder for us as a church, and for each of us as individuals saved by Jesus.

In Old Testament times, it was thought that God’s presence would reside in their temple. But in New Testament times, we find that we are the temple of God. God resides in us. This happens by grace through faith in Jesus.