Jesus Isn’t Here for Peace…Matthew 10:34-39 says, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household! If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”
I’ve quoted and referenced this scripture many times, but I didn’t fully understand what Jesus was expressing until I experienced it. Now, I understand that belief in Jesus Christ shapes our beliefs, values, and morals, shaping everything from how we vote to what we support. Let me explain. If everyone in your family has not asked Jesus Christ into their heart, then it will be a divided family. There will be individuals with Christian viewpoints and individuals with worldly viewpoints, all in the same family. The household will remain divided until everyone has asked Jesus Christ into their hearts.
1 Corinthians 2:14 explains that the natural person—that is, the one who has not asked Jesus Christ into his heart—does not accept the ways of the Spirit of God. The ways of God are folly to him, and he is unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. In other words, no matter how it is explained, the natural person will never fully understand. Unlike the spiritual person, the natural person’s beliefs, values, and morals are defined by the world not God.
Friends, is there dissension in your family? If so, I encourage you to seek God. While we may not be able to shape the opinions of others, we can ask God to intervene. He knows what to do to reach those who don’t know Him. Stay prayerful, and be encouraged, knowing that God is able to bring peace to what seems like impossible situations.
For God’s Glory,
Tahnee
