“Pastor, ever since I gave my life to Christ, I’ve not really had peace in my family. My entire family treats me bad because I don’t want to go back to my former religion. What do I do?”

Oh, that’s absolutely normal, especially in families that didn’t have a Christian background. Jesus clearly told us that He didn’t come to send peace on this earth; rather, he sent a sword. If we’d be honest with ourselves, you won’t see a person approaching you with a sword and be at peace. Likewise, bringing Jesus into your “religious” family that didn’t know Jesus may initially stir unrest or conflict.

Note that I used the word “religious” family. It’s far easier if your family didn’t believe in anything at all. This conflict even happens among Christian families, let alone families with a different religion. I can’t forget the emotional trauma I suffered just because I left the Charismatic church my family attended and joined the pentecostals. During one of the conflicts, one of my cousins even declared that I will come back to the charismatic church in no time. What they didn’t know was that I met a version of Jesus in the pentecostal church that hadn’t been revealed in the charismatic church at the time. That automatically meant that the possibility of going back was zero percent.

The conflict went on, but the Holy Spirit helped me to live through them all. It wasn’t very long that the Lord seperated me from them by giving me my own place. It’s been fourteen years now, and even though they’ve all left the charismatic church to join the pentecostals, there’s still alot of work to be done to establish Jesus fully in their hearts. It’s never easy bringing Jesus into a religious family. Now let me show you a scripture for this:

Matthew 10:
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

So verse 28 tells you not to fear man who can only hurt your flesh. They may vow to send you out of the house to live in the street, but don’t fear, neither should you denounce the Jesus you’ve found because of that. Birds are cheaply sold, yet none of them can fall to the ground without the Father’s approval. That should encourage you to know that you can’t fall, despite the conflict. According to verse 30 and 31, the hair on your head are numbered, and you are of more value than birds.

Don’t deny the Jesus you’ve encountered before your father or mother, or siblings; rather, be bold enough to talk about Him before them. As verse 32 says, if you confess Jesus before men, He’d also confess you before the Father. And we all know that anybody Jesus talks about to the Father is a treasure in the eyes of the Father, Satan can’t destroy such a person.

Verses 34 to 39 are self explanatory. Your mentality should be that Jesus didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. If the only way the name of Jesus can be manifest in your family is through conflict, then so be it. Verse 35 says He came to set man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. That’s already alot to take in. Then He continues by saying “A man’s enemies shall be from his own family”. I’m not going to lie, I was considered an enemy. One of my cousins even pushed me out of the house and said I should go to my father’s house. I can’t begin to talk about the many things that they did to me.

I loved them, but I love Jesus more, and I was willing to carry my cross and follow Him. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve become a worthy example for them to follow today.

In conclusion, once you encounter Jesus, stop trying to find a life that suits you yet brings no glory to Jesus, you’d lose that life in no time. The wiser thing to do is to lose the lifestyle that only pleases you and focus on a life that pleases God. If you do that, then you’d find the true life that God has ordained for you in Christ Jesus.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!

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