Despite our society's preoccupation with individual achievement, most people want to belong to a loving family. Those, whose family is like that, often underestimate their privilege; while others may despair of ever being embraced by that kind of relationship. Our emotional stability depends on secure relationships, and so humans seek them wherever they can. Where family love is missing, some choose addictions to numb the pain of lovelessness. And it is easy to throw ourselves into work which, for many, provides a substitute family.

The best place to look for satisfying relationship, is to Father God. He invented 'family'. He is described as 'Father', not only because He is the ultimate life-giver, but because He has always been the head of the divine family of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The three persons of the God-head always love each other, agree with each other and relate in ways which give honour and glory to each other. Although God's universe and our own bodies work because they follow the rules which He has set, God is primarily a relational person; and His rules are to guide us into relating well with Him and with each other.

When He created people in 'His image', He created people designed to relate in families, as the basis of society. The Jewish people understood that they were special to Him as subjects to a King, and children in a family. Although the Old Testament Jews were reluctant to call God, 'Father', Psalm 68:5 describes Him as 'as father of the fatherless'. Jesus often spoke of His Father, and was clear that He is our Father too (John 20:17). The Church is the sanctified family of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The wonderful thing about believing in Jesus, is that we also find we have a Father who loves us personally. We are included into a family and we have a place where we belong, by right (John 1:12). But then our human family also becomes an even more special place; maybe there are difficulties, but, in having a heavenly Father who invented 'family', we have somebody we can talk to about the situation. We should therefore be encouraged that we know the One Person who can make a dysfunctional family, whole; and good family, brilliant. And many of our colleagues really need this kind of Father too: and He has put us there to tell them!