Family

The McLaughlin family is a normal average family. Granddad McLaughlin lives with the family of his son John, since grandma McLaughlin died. Granddad is big in posture with a small heart and everybody calls him Big Mac. John and his wife, Mary, have three children of whom the eldest is nicknamed Mackie. He is his mother’s pride and joy and they have a very good relationship. Whenever Mackie wants something, he would ask her first and although she would remind him to ask his dad too, he most likely will get what he desires without any effort.

Their youngest child is nicknamed Little Mary and she and her dad have the same relationship Mackie and Mary have with one difference, in his eyes she can do anything without consulting her mom and it still would be fine, except of course, dating.

The middle child has earned himself the nickname of MacGyver because he has a very lively and adventurous nature, fiddling with everything he can lay his hands on.

MacGyver appears to be the happiest child on the face of the earth because he always smiles and moves around with vigour and excitement in every step. He favours all three elders in his home similarly and obviously is equally friendly with his brother and sister too. When MacGyver enters the room, the face of everyone in the family lights up because he gives everybody the attention they deserve and whatever they might need. He is equally loved by the whole McLaughlin clan.

What has the story of the McLaughlin family to do with us?

The answer is not much and yet, quite a lot. We have a loving Father who allowed His Son to die for our sins. Then He gave us His Holy Spirit to indwell us. Like Mackie and Little Mary many of us give attention to either the Father or Jesus and only occasionally include the Spirit.

I usually gave Jesus all the attention until He told me this past weekend that I should give more attention to the Father. Jesus loves the Father so much He cannot bear to watch Him longing for my attention.

Jesus did not die on the cross to replace God or the Spirit in our hearts. Jesus died to cleanse us in order for us to be constantly in their presence. Jesus said we must be in Him, showing our love to the Father and caressing the Spirit while doing that. It is awesome to worship Jesus but He wants us to worship the Father more.

Jesus and the Spirit guide and talk to us 24 hours every day and because they are realistically involved in our lives, we tend to give them all our attention, neglecting the Father unintentionally.
We have been reborn into the family of God. Just like the McLaughlin family above, we have the same surname Jesus has.

The Father loves us very much and He loves to look at us, listen to us and touch our hearts. We should make special time and effort to sit in front of Him and just love Him back. We are one family with the Father as Head, and when we need something we should ask the Father first. If we express our appreciation, it should be to the Father first, and then we include Jesus and the Spirit too.