The people you’re closest to can be the ones who give you the strongest opposition when it comes to sharing your faith. Maybe you’ve got that one friend who can’t resist making fun of you whenever you talk about Jesus. Or it might be someone you work with, or even a member of your family, who just can’t understand your devotion to God. And that’s hard. But don’t be discouraged by it. When Moses’ sister Miriam and his brother Aaron complained about his relationship with God, Moses didn’t get angry, but stayed gentle and humble in the face of their opposition. When Jesus went home to Nazareth to minister to the people He grew up with, some of them tried to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:29). And in spite of His teachings and miracles, His family thought He was going crazy (Mark 3:21). People who’d known Him all His life didn’t believe Him and wouldn’t listen. That must have really hurt Him. If we were in that same situation, we’d probably start questioning ourselves at this point. Interestingly, the Bible says ‘He could not do any miracles there’ (Mark 6:5 NIV). Jesus knew that whatever He did, His hometown wouldn’t pay attention to someone they saw only as a humble carpenter. But Jesus also knew what God’s plan was. He wouldn’t give up on it, and carried on ministering to people and sharing God’s love with them. If you find your closest friends and family won’t listen to you, love them and pray for them because God can change their hearts. And until He does, trust in His plan and keep serving Him.
What Now?
Got a close friend who just won’t listen whenever you mention God? Set aside 10 minutes today to pray just for them.
