My earthly father is 76, and unsaved. He's living in the Philippians currently, with his young Filipino wife (fifth wife). They lived in Las Vegas for years and just recently moved. I emailed him the other day following a news report about a typhoon, but it was in the north; his area was unaffected.
Something he wrote in his long email back gave me an opening to talk about the Lord, so I gave an invitation to both of them to accept Christ.
When dealing with family, evangelism is risky. I've been rejected before by other family, and it looks as though it's happened again.
And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."
- Matthew 13:57
- Matthew 19:29
Oftentimes, being a Christian is extremely costly. When it's not costly, we're playing it too safe and God never promised safe. He never promised we'd have a lot of people to love us. He never promised loud, lively family parties at holidays and birthdays. When one's own family rejects you because of the Gospel, it's particularly painful and lonely.
The more comfortable we are here, the less comfortable we'll be in heaven. The less comfortable we are here, the more comfortable we'll be in heaven.
Live for that because you can bank on it.
If someone asks..."What's your ambition in life?" What will you say?
My ambition is to love God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, even when it makes me extremely uncomfortable.
Be willing to suffer pain and loneliness and rejection, for the sake of the Gospel. For the sake of one more soul...because the Lord goes to great pains to chase that one.
Don't go for popular, or fashionable, or lovable. Go for the camel's hair and the locusts and honey like John the Baptist, who got the job done because he lived for one thing. Souls.
The god of this world labors hard to make it all about us. The God of Heaven labors hard to make it all about souls.
Who will you follow?
2 comments:
Amen! I thank God for your persistence and courage. I will pray for this situation and continue praying as usual for you and your family.
I tread softly with my family, but I do talk about God (it's natural for me - I can't *not* mention God sometimes, you know?) and I tell them when I'm praying for them. Recently my dear sister has been through a rough patch with her 'partner' (or, as I like to call him, 'would-be husband') and I told her I was praying for them. I think she really appreciated it, even if she does think I'm mad. Only she knows that I'm not - she *knows* I have something that she lacks - she just hasn't accepted that that something is God. Not yet. Only God knows what will actually make the difference but we have to keep going, we have to keep loving and where we can't love because it's dangerous - e.g. your mother :-/ - we can still pray. Prayer is sometimes such a sweet relief. Sometimes I even pray for those who abused me - not often, I admit - for them to come to repentance and sorrow and meet Jesus on their knees and experience His almighty power as well as His almighty forgiveness.
How can we not share this wonderful love? If we didn't, the very rocks would cry out! May God bless you, Christine, for your faithfulness.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment here, Sandy. I sure appreciate you, and I have prayed for your sister just now, that your recent words will melt her heart and she would begin asking questions about the reason for your hope!
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