Christians view the church as a family and that the other Christians are their brothers and sisters. It shares many similarities to our own families. In order for it to work, there has to be love and compassion but in the same way as at home, there can be arguments and disagreements that can sometimes lead to a division in the family.
The world today has become much easier than it was at the time of the first disciples, however I believe this adds to the cost of discipleship. Being a disciple is regarded as quite "weird" and goes against many human values. Christians today are put to the test more and more by having their faith questioned a lot. Science and technology are telling us to do different things that in the past only God had the power to do, for example, determine the sex of our babies or go against nature through artificial insemination. Sometimes nowadays it appears we have no need for God in our lives at all.
The world today is full of temptation, and to be a true Christian it is important to be able to resist these temptations. Sunday was regarded as a day of rest and devotion to God; it has now become just like any other day, with shops opening and people running to work. We need to find time for God in our lives, yet there seems to be more and more distractions, pulling us away from our religion.
Wealth is another temptation which must not come in they way of our relationship with God. Wealth can become an idol and people can become obsessed with it and block God out of their lives. It isn't just wealth that must be handled carefully and that is why Jesus stresses the importance of sacrifice so people can be totally committed to God with no distractions. ff.
In our society we believe that success brings with importance and greatness, but Jesus taught us that the least of us will be the first into the Kingdom of God and that the most important will be the last. According to Courtie and Johnson, "What looks like personal success to the world at large, is in eternal terms- failure. And what looks like personal loss to the world at large, is in eternal terms- gain."
Unfortunately there are many people who don't live their lives as Jesus would want but there are many who do. They do this by attending mass regularly, keeping close to the commandments, stay clear from crime and adultery and do not engage is underage sex. There are some people who live as Jesus would want, and they do so very publicly but on the other hand, there are less public people whom we know ourselves through our own lives and hold a very special meaning to us. An example in my own life is my family and in particular my parents. They surround me with love and support and I know they will always be there for me.
