How to Deal with Criticism from Your Family

First John 4:21 says, "This commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."

Do you have relatives who feel it is their call in life to discourage you? If you do, then you are not alone. One of the worst things you can do when you come into the knowledge of the Word of God is to hang around and fellowship with unbelievers.

Of course, we must keep this in balance because God doesn't necessarily want us to isolate ourselves, but rather, insulate ourselves from the world.

However, for the young Christian (not age-related but growth level), it is best to find and hang around with as many Christians as possible. Most animals, when they are young, must stay with the older animals in the herd, flock, pack, and so on. The reason is that it's God's plan in nature for the mature to nurture and protect the immature. This holds true in the church also.

As mature Christians, we are required to nurture and protect the young ones who have just received Jesus. However, I have discovered over the years that it's easier to protect young Christians from sinners in the world than it is some of their relatives.

Recently, a teenager, who had just received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, was telling me about all of the kids at school he was witnessing to. He had discovered that Jesus had changed his heart concerning some schoolmates that he previously hated.

The love of God was so strong on this young man that he was a powerful witness at school. Then after not seeing him at church for a few weeks, I encountered him at a local store. He apologized for not being at church and said the reason was that his parents didn't want him to be a Christian.

It's sad when family members would rather have a worldly person living in their home than a person who walks by faith and walks in love.

How do we respond to family members who don't understand what the Bible teaches? The answer is quite simple. Jesus told us to "love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). So, we respond the way Jesus did. We walk in love being led by the Spirit, submitting to authority but never denying the love we have for Jesus.

As 1 John 4:12 says, "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."