“"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mathew 5:11-12).
If we have never suffered this kind of harassment, we may skim over the words rushing on to some other truth that applies to us. But if a family member ridicules our belief in Christ the words suddenly come alive. Every sharp word is like a barb in our emotions. We want to be accepted, love and respected by those we have shared life with, and when they demean our thinking processes it cuts deeply into our relationship.
Jesus warned us that his coming would divide families (Luke 12:51-53). It is easy to read those words but far more difficult to live through them.
