Are You The Keeper Of Your Loved Ones?

We know that our God of love values relationships deeply. Yet, our sinful, selfish nature also makes it hard for us to care about others, even our own family members. We tend to mind our own business and care for our own interests rather than be concerned about others. However, God keeps reminding us to love one another and watch over each other. In particular, the family members whom God has placed beside us are people we especially need to keep watch over. Today, let us ponder upon how we can have a mutually supportive relationship with our family members and brethren. In (Gen 4:9), the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” What do you think of Cain’s question? Do you think you are the keeper of your brothers and family members too?

We humans will not be able to perfectly watch over our loved ones.

1) Only God can keep a person to the end.

No matter how spiritual we are, we are still limited human beings, unable to control the hearts of our loved ones. Only God is capable of bringing a person to faith and keeping his faith.

2) Every man has to be accountable to the God who created him.

It is every man’s duty to obey the Creator God. Even if a person is born into a very blessed family, surrounded by people who preach God’s word to him and people who keep watch over him, eventually, no one can repent and believe on behalf of another person. Even if others have interceded for him, until he himself calls out to the Lord, he cannot receive God’s grace of salvation, along with God’s other blessings.

3) When we cannot keep a person despite our best efforts, we also need not feel too accused.

We know that God let us play the various roles of parents, children, teachers, pastors, cell group leaders, and fellow brethren, in order for us to point people around us to God. Thus, when we cannot see the evidences of people coming to the Lord, we may be discouraged and feel like giving up. Or we may feel we are not good enough to bless others and thus feel accused. However, if we have already loved and ministered to our loved ones faithfully, then there is no need for us to blame ourselves too much. After all, we cannot be responsible for the response of others, but we just need to be faithful to God’s calling for us.

God wants us to love one another, and carry each other’s burdens.

<Php 2:4> not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

<Gal 6:2> Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

So God does not want us to merely look to our own interests, but He wants us to keep watch over our brothers and loved ones too. That will include:

1) Watching over our families with practical love.

<1 Jn 4:20-21> Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

<1 Jn 3:18> Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Everyone needs love. And love is not just in theory and words, but it has to come across as real and practical. In a sinful world where people tend to care only for themselves, a genuine interest for others’ welfare will leave a deep impression on them. Our loved ones may not read the Bible, but they will read us and read our lives. When the love of God flows from our lives to touch their hearts, our loved ones may be drawn to the God we worship too. Sometimes, when our family members want to go the wrong way, our loving reminders and actions may turn them around. Or when our family members get discouraged with life and even God, seeing how we support them with God’s love can revive their hope in God again.

2) Turn our loved ones back when they are lost.

<Jas 5:19-20> My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

     Today, if our family members have not come to know the Lord Jesus and the redemption He offers, they have wandered from the truth and are without salvation. If we are the only born-again Christian in our family, then no matter if we are a long-time Christian or a new believer, we are the watchmen of our families. The role of watchman is to keep a lookout for dangers and warn others. The watchman will protect his people. Since God has already revealed His gospel to us, we who know the truth have the responsibility to share it with others. While we may fear that our loved ones may be offended by God’s word, we must seek courage from God to still speak the truth in love.

For God said in <Eze 33:7-9>, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

Today, God may ask us, “After knowing the truth about God’s salvation and judgment, what you have done for your loved ones and brothers?” Will we answer Him like Cain did, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”? Will we say, “I don’t know and I don’t care”? We must consider how we are to answer God if we are not good keepers of our loved ones. While we cannot control a person’s fate, have we tried our best to keep our family members in the Lord?

Keeping watch and prayers always come together, that’s why Jesus urged His disciples to watch and pray. So even if we are weak, the least we can do is to pray for our family members and turn them to God. Spiritual watchman needs spiritual discernment and faithful obedience. Thus, to be an effective watchman for our families, we first need to build our own strong relationship with God, know God’s word well and understand His will for our families. May the love and concern for our families drive us closer to God, for we know that only when we ourselves are rooted deeply in Christ, then we can be good watchmen and examples for our loved ones.