Family & Close Relationships

Part 5 in a Series of 6 on” How to Share Christ”

 1.   You may have already discovered that sharing Christ with family members, friends, co-workers or anyone with whom you have a close relationship is hard. These relationships can make it difficult to share about Christ if they’ve seen you in a role other than Christian.

2.      Through God’s transforming grace, we become new creatures when we give our lives to Christ. If we have a “past” we’re not proud of, our new life can impact people in a powerful way if we let the love of Christ shine through us.

3.      Sometimes you’ll have to go to others and clear the air – even if you’re not at fault. If you know someone has an offense against you, why not obey Jesus and say something like “I know there is something between us and I want to ask your forgiveness for hurts I’ve caused you. Will you forgive me?” This will take swallowing your pride, but Jesus will be pleased with you.

4.      The person who was offended will have a new respect for you and this could open the door for you to tell them about Jesus and how He changed you. But be prepared to lead them to Christ because they may decide that they want what you have!

5.      Sharing Christ with Family & Close Relationships is usually the most difficult of all the ways you will share Christ. First of all it’s easier to share with someone that you may never see again, than those you’re close to. Sometimes family members are skeptical and may need time to see that you have changed. Don’t give up. Let your light shine forth and try again later.

6.      There is no special way to share Christ with those close to you except that you can look for opportunities to tell them how Jesus changed you. One way would be in following what Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:23-24. Here He tells us about the importance of making amends with someone who has something against us. Jesus doesn’t say that we’re to make amends if you’ve been wrong, but to make amends if the person “feels” that you were wrong.

7.      When Jesus visited his home town of Nazareth in Matthew 13:54-58, it says that the people were skeptical and didn’t believe Him: “And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is this not the carpenter’s son? …Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and in his own household.’…..”

8.      If you have tried to share Christ with family members, close friends or others and were not successful, you’re in good company with Jesus Himself, but it’s good to keep seeking opportunities. Not all of those who were close to Jesus rejected Him and one of his brothers, James, became a strong believer and the leader of the Jerusalem Church (Acts15:13-22; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 2:9.