Giving Up Friendships for Jesus' Sake (TMF:1441)

Monday, August 24, 2020
Peace to Live By: Giving Up Friendships for Jesus' Sake (TMF:1441) - Daniel Litton
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       And then there are the friendships that may even end because the person now believes in Christ. The new Christian may have to end them to stay devoted, or the unbelieving person may walk away and give up the friendship. So, Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (ESV). What does this mean? Simply put, what Jesus is saying is that he has to be first in the believer’s life. If it comes down to making a particular choice about something, the believer should always side with Christ and not with a fellow, unbelieving family member. The relationship may stay intact just fine, but with this particular choice, the person sides with Jesus. If a person has to sacrifice a relationship with a fellow family member for his name’s sake, then so be it. A Christian should always choose Christ over an earthly relationship, or that person really isn’t fully devoted, or an even truly devoted follower. Again, some people have never had do to this, or have never had this experience. But many Christians have.