The eight keys

What to do when you are rejected for becoming a member of Christ’s Holy Family.

We will explore over the next eight days how to handle the rejection you are going to face when you become a member of Christ’s Holy family.

Yes when you become a Christian you become Holy and that will cause rejection from friends and more often than not especially from family.

Holy: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity Webster’s Dictionary

Do not be surprised when friends distance themselves from you, and your family cruelly mocks you when you dedicate your life to Christ.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.” if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason. John 15:18-25

There are eight important points to remember when this rejection occurs.

Point number one: Don’t take it personally. They are not so much rejecting you as they are Jesus. Because you are living the Christian life they will feel uncomfortable because deep down they know they are stubbornly arrogantly rejecting Jesus.

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 1 Peter 4:3&4

You see, they will be surprised and offended because you have chosen to get off the highway to hell and get on the narrow road to Heaven. Therefore they will reject you. You will not fit in with that crowd because you do not belong there. Oh you may try to but will fail. Does the sheep fit in with the wolves? Neither do you fit in with people who are living a lifestyle opposite to Christ. Because of that they will reject you. It will be painful, but take it to Jesus, who suffered a lot more rejection than we. He understands and will send the Holy Spirit to comfort you.

Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Abba (God our Father) for the divine privilege of being a member of Your Holy family. Please comfort me when others, especially my family, reject me because I have chosen to become a member of Your righteous family. I ask in the name of He who was rejected at first by His earthly family, Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.