Have you ever been the object of gossip, in which no one would speak to you about what they heard about you to hear your side of things?
Welcome to the world of the born-again believer. Those who hated Christ lied against Him, we can expect this too.
Narcissists will be bothered by our peace and joy. They would rather we be miserable like them. One way they do this is to concoct in their own mind what they wish to believe about us and pass it on as fact. Even our good deeds will be punished with misinterpretation and suspect.
The Pharisees were jealous of the miracles Christ did so they claimed the miracles were of the devil. They claimed He was of the devil to negate whatever He did, even though all He did was loving and kind. He lived a perfect life on this earth, something the arrogant and self-righteous Pharisees hated. The Pharisees wanted to be seen as special and superior, the idea that there was someone walking the earth superior to them was aggravating to them.
Matthew 23:4-6 “…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…”
Why would you or I think we would be treated any differently from how our Lord was treated?
John 15:19-21 "…19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. 20 Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well. 21 But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.…"
Most family groups are not born again, they rely almost entirely on the family for their validation and their companionship.
When we are born again we break out of those cult-like existences in search of brothers and sisters who are not blood-related but who are born of the Spirit of God. Those who love Christ and walk with Him daily are those who are our real brothers and sisters, our eternal ones that love one another.
If you have a family that gathers at holidays and birthdays you have probably experienced pressure to come to these things only to be treated with indifference or even contempt while you are there.
Unsaved family members are very uncomfortable around the Holy Spirit. They often want you there so you can see them but are not really interested in enjoying you. To come to their gathering is a sort of validation of them in their mind, but they have no interest in validating you. As born-again believers we don’t’ attend things to be validated but we do attend them to have sweet fellowship with like-minded people or to witness Christ to those who might be open. Unfortunately, often believers will attend ungodly gatherings without ever speaking about Christ. This is a sort of validation of ungodliness by silence.
Just hanging out with unbelievers because there is a family connection does not influence the gathering. The reason I say this is because there is strength in numbers. As long as the unbelievers are surrounded by other unbelievers they will pack up and attack the believer if anything is mentioned about our Lord.
I prefer to visit with unsaved people one on one, that way there are no “family mobbings” that can occur. Like-minded unsaved people “pack up” so that no one in the room hears a thing we say or we are prevented from speaking altogether.
There is a lot of jealousy in family structures, we know this because of all the problems that arise continually among extended family. When a family is mostly unbelievers, the believers who come are outnumbered and can have little influence.
The idea that we must be loyal to unsaved family works against God’s Word. He states clearly that we must leave behind family to follow Him unless family members become born again too.
Psalm 1:1
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.”
Proverbs 1:15
“my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.”
1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV / 15 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Luke 16:15
“And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Proverbs 13:20 “One who walks with wise people will be wise, But a companion of fools will suffer harm.”
When we walk with the ungodly for all the holidays and all the birthdays as well as other gatherings we will end up becoming like them. We will respond to life the way they do or worse we will be drawn into their attempts to fight with us.
We must not make ungodly family members our primary companions, they influence and pressure us to conform to their ways and believe what they believe. We know this because of the divorce and remarriage rate within the church as well as the language I am hearing Christians use that should never fly out of their mouths.
Many things Christians believe today come straight from the ungodly psychology of unsaved family members.
Just saying!!!!
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