00:00The issue is, does your relationship with family members put you in a position that causes you to compromise your
00:14faith and your relationship with God?
00:17If the answer is yes, then your relationship with God must be your focal point.
00:33So, my question is, if someone comes from a different religion, for example, Hindu Bagram, but has chosen to follow
00:43Jesus Christ,
00:44how should they navigate family relationships where their family members continue to worship other gods and expect them to participate
00:55in religious rituals?
00:56So, how can they honor their family while remaining faithful to Jesus Christ?
01:03And how can they avoid being spiritually affected by practices that conflict with their faith?
01:11Can I ask, are you referring to yourself? Is this a personal thing or you are speaking on behalf of
01:17others?
01:17Yes, yes, yes, because I'm the first one who is delivering Christ and I have come from Hindu Bagram.
01:24So, now there is a lot of conflict. My parents want me to worship those gods and I want to
01:31serve other gods.
01:33So, there is a lot of conflict and I am concerned about them. I know who is the real God.
01:39I want them to come, but I am not able to force and there is a lot of conflict going
01:45on.
01:46Whilst we need to apply wisdom in navigating specific scenarios within a family, as you've referenced,
01:56The principle I want to emphasize to you, sister, is this.
02:03Your relationship with God is more important than your biological relationship with family members.
02:15Please, this does not mean your relationship with family members is not important.
02:19Family is God's design and it's a divine unit.
02:26But when you look at orders of magnitude in priority, our relationship with God has to be at the top
02:33of the list.
02:34So, when you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior, you have taken a decision which is
02:44effectively putting him at the very top
02:48when it comes to the way and manner you structure your life and how you prioritize what you do, where
02:58you go,
02:58how you navigate the trials and tests that life brings.
03:02So, what does that mean?
03:05You love your family in reference to God, not in comparison with God.
03:15I mean, Jesus himself said, anyone who loves his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me.
03:24So, this does not mean there should not be love.
03:27This does not mean there should not be relationship.
03:30This does not mean there should not be affection and companionship.
03:33But, more than is what Jesus says.
03:38So, the issue is, does your relationship with family members put you in a position that causes you to compromise
03:52your faith and your relationship with God?
03:57If the answer is yes, then your relationship with God must be your focal points.
04:07And, if that causes division, distance, offense, disconnection with family members, it is a price.
04:19But, remember what Jesus said, whatever you lose for my sake, you will gain a thousandfold.
04:25That does not mean you should break off connection entirely or take an approach of fighting for the sake of
04:37your faith.
04:38But, it does mean you have to take a stand which has your relationship with God at the top of
04:47the pyramid.
04:49If you don't take a stand for something, you will eventually fall for something.
04:59Now, taking a stand for those principles is the greatest way you can express how much your faith in Christ
05:09means to you, to your family members.
05:12Because, if your faith in Christ can be pushed aside for the sake of cultural customs or family expectations, then
05:22it's not a true reflection that you really believe.
05:26So, I know this is not an easy scenario you are referring to, sister.
05:32And, I'm not saying that my answer is an easy answer.
05:36I will also remind you of the story where Jesus' mother and brothers came.
05:41And, they said they want to see him.
05:44And, he was teaching the people.
05:46And, Jesus said, look, who are my mother and brothers but those who do the will of God?
05:50Now, he is not denying his biological family, but, once again, he is placing things of the spirits of greater
05:57importance and value than the things of this physical flesh.
06:02So, the spirit is thicker than blood.
06:04So, from that perspective, the greatest way you can show your faith and, indeed, express your love to your family
06:11members is to live your life in a manner that holds fast to your conviction about Jesus Christ.
06:18But, do so in a manner that does not break relationship beyond repair, that is respectful to their own faith
06:27and culture, but not causing you to compromise your own principles as a Christian.
06:33I know what I'm saying may sound too generic in your specific circumstance.
06:39You need to ask the help of the Holy Spirit to know, right, are there certain aspects of traditional, cultural
06:47things that I can engage in as a member of this family which does not compromise my faith, which I
06:55can still go to and be part of as a Christian?
06:57Or, are there some things that a line is crossed and they are trying to engage me in something that
07:04violates my conscience?
07:05So, that is why you need to ask the help of the Holy Spirit to know how to apply wisdom
07:12in navigating this.
07:14But, the key principle I want to emphasize to you, sister, and to everyone connecting, we are to love God
07:20above all.
07:23That was the summary Jesus Christ gave of all the commandments in the Bible.
07:28So, love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your strength, to
07:34love God above all.
07:38So, family is not on the same level as faith.
07:46Relationship with God is above.
07:50Everything else is secondary.
07:52So, that means the decisions you arrive at, at navigating this conflict and tension, must be taken through the lens
08:00of your faith in Christ first, not your position as a member of your family.
08:06Your position in Christ is even more important than your membership of your family.
08:16That does not mean family is unimportant.
08:20That does not mean you should not do your best to maintain good ties for the sake of helping them
08:27spiritually and being a light to them.
08:29But, when it comes to your faith in Christ, compromise is not an acceptable option.
08:36So, that would be my advice to you, sister.
08:39Thank you very much for being open to share that.
08:46Your concern should be more centered on their souls than your hurts.
08:56If people are behaving in a manner that is toxic, the way you described, and you are part of that
09:03family, you should never break a relationship beyond repair.
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