There's a question that I've been mulling over for some time: why is it that following Christ seems to entail hurting my family, especially my parents, who have done nothing but sacrifice for me - changing my dirty diapers, driving me to violin/piano/swimming/tennis/etc. lessons, putting me through private school, delivering fruit to my desk as I studied late at night? Why is it that ever since I got serious about my faith, I have (at times) felt like the black sheep of the family? You'd think it would be the other way around, but I think my parents sometimes sit there daydreaming, "How great would our lives be if our daughter would only stop being so gung-ho about her faith?"

In fact, I've even been asked point-blank: "Do you really think God is honored by what you are doing to your family?" (Can't you just feel the chill going up your spine?)

I haven't seen it in my life alone, but I've seen it in the lives of people around me who are trying to live out their faith as best as they can. As I see my peers struggling with their families time and time again, it has forced me to pause and ask, "What does God really think about family?"

As I reflected on different instances of family relations in the Bible, this is what I found:

1) Does God value family? Yes. After all, didn't He invent the whole brilliant idea when He established the Trinity, with "God the Father" and "Jesus Christ the Son"?

2) Could living for God entail domestic strife? Yes. Even Jesus caused family strife. When he was younger, He wandered away from his parents in the midst of a massive caravan and went to the temple without even telling them (Luke 2:41-51). Later in His life, when his mother and brothers were asking for him, He neglected them for strangers, saying "Who are my mother and my brothers?" (Mark 3:31-35). On a side note, how insulting is that?! I know I wouldn't be allowed home for Thanksgiving or Christmas if that line ever came out of my mouth.

3) Could following Christ entail not being there (physically) for your family, even in times of need? Yes. Even Jesus had to entrust His mom to others in her time of of great distress when he could no longer be there for her, because He was busy fulfilling His call to die on the cross for all humanity (John 19:25-27).

4) Do parents really have to let their children go? Yes. Even God had to let His child go, so that His Son could accomplish His life purpose: the single most remarkable, transformative, miraculous work of all eternity (John 3:16).

So I concluded, YES, God values family. The pain and struggle that I've experienced with my family at times is nothing new to God because He's been there Himself. We wouldn't have the Gospel if a Heavenly parent had never let His child go, and if that child had never lived out His radical conviction and calling.

So at the end of the day, my parents are following in the footsteps of our Heavenly Father, and I am learning to follow in Christ's footsteps of obedience to conviction and calling. I guess that's what we call a "win-win."