New Family Members

Mark 3:33-35 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

I can promise you, without fail, anyone who has given their life wholly to Jesus, living their life as his disciple, has close members of their family that struggle with it. In open discussions with his disciples, I too have heard of the family struggles of different levels of faith, to agnostic (no faith), to slander, to anything else you can imagine. There is a pain that the disciple must endure when someone close to them won’t live their life for Christ. There is a pain in the slander that comes to those who live for the world, those who live stuck in religion, those who deny God. The pain the disciples endure, is used by God for their benefit in some way they don’t understand.

Jesus had done so much incredible teaching and healing, that now he was being accused of being crazy, or even worse, one of Satan’s angels. His own family, his brothers did not believe him after living with him for 30 years. John 7:5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him. One of those hardened hearts, later wrote one of the first books in the New Testament (James). Jesus knew his time would come. Jesus knew that God would open his heart, and he would play a role in the kingdom work eternally. Jesus knew his earthly family would come around, in God’s timing. Jesus concentrated on those he now called his family, those who became his disciples and lived their lives for him.

God will redesign your circle of friends and family to fit an eternal order. God will have hardened hearts around you, slanderous hearts around you, but those that will edify you also. Those who will diligently pray for you; those who will exhort you with a word from God; those who will truly be there in life’s trials, with Godly wisdom and encouragement. Embrace the new family that he is placing before you. Embrace the love, wisdom, and rebuke that comes with true Godly friends.