You’ve got relatives, friends who never understood you after joining God’s family. And it’s hard. Really, truly brutal.
Jesus knows, feels your pain deeply, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” [Emphasis mine.]
When we think about the world hating us it doesn’t really phase us until it’s someone close to us, someone we’ve loved up close and personal. This is where the rubber meets the road. The knitty gritty of dying to yourself. Because let’s face it—what haven’t we sacrificed for the one’s we’ve loved so long? We want to keep doing what we’ve always done: please our people.
It’s taken me a long time to recognize: there be no un-truer love than one willing to appease anothers’ self-righteous appetite. This is not a love that does a soul a lick of good. Only a heart fully first for Christ can, without selfishness, love another.
“If ye be Christ’s disciples your Lord must be first, then mother, father, wife, children, brethren, and sisters will follow in due rank and order.” –Charles Spurgeon
My church 
There is a lot of wisdom in these lines. One needs to be open to the complete message.
Very thoughtful and thought provoking.
Thank you,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad it’s speaks to you, Dad. God’s wisdom always opens my mind if I’m willing to listen.🍁
LikeLike