Years ago, when I was complaining about some life challenges, I felt like God’s Spirit spoke to me through Jeremiah 12:5-6.
In verse 5, God poetically tells Jeremiah to quit complaining and prepare for greater challenges. (See Our Race Is Getting Faster and Harder.)
Then in verse 6, God reveals a sad part of Jeremiah’s life: “Your relatives, members of your own family—even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.”
Jeremiah was a godly man, faithfully speaking God’s truth during an immoral time in history, and his family betrayed and slandered him.
Christians are sometimes guilty of a “Pollyanna mindset” when it comes to family, thinking things will always turn out good.
But what if they don't? Will we change our values to please friends and family? Will we quit speaking up for God's loving commands? Will we change our view of the gospel?
Jesus' family rejected Him. He understands our pain (John 7:3-7).
When He sent out the disciples in Matthew 10, He gave them a warning that we must also heed. He told them they must speak God's truth as the Spirit led, even if family members betrayed them, even if the world called them evil (Matthew 10:16-39).
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” ~ Jesus, Matthew 10:37
If we are going to be prepared for increasing persecution, we must love Jesus more than our most precious loved ones.
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See Why Some Folks Have Created a New Jesus.
Note: “A Pollyanna is a blindly or foolishly optimistic person. The term derives from Eleanor H. Porter's 1913 novel, Pollyanna, about an orphan with an unjustifiably optimistic attitude. The word is primarily an Americanism” (source). Many Christians have this attitude toward family due to misunderstandings about Proverbs 22:6.
If you own Wisdom for Life, I encourage you to read or re-read Day 84 which talks about this misunderstanding.
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