Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Just Live It
“So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house’” (Matthew 13:57 NKJV).
The hardest people to reach with the gospel are those closest to you. When I first came to Christ, my mother wasn’t responsive to the gospel. Now, I have to admit there probably was some overkill on my part at first. But it took not just years, but decades, for my mother to come around to believing in Jesus Christ.
In the hometown of Jesus, the Bible tells us that “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58 NKJV). In fact, Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house” (verse 57 NKJV).
Jesus was on the move, healing people, delivering people from demonic possession, and forgiving sins. And when John baptized Him, His Father confirmed him, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17 NKJV).
How did the biological family of Jesus respond to all of this? Mark’s gospel tells us, “When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. ‘He’s out of his mind,’ they said” (Mark 3:21 NLT).
Maybe you’re married to a nonbeliever, and you’re wondering how to reach him or her. What you probably don’t need to do is give more sermons. You just need to live it. First Peter 3 says the way to reach a nonbelieving person is not by your words but by living the Word. There comes a point where they don’t need more sermons. They need to see it demonstrated.
So be patient with your family because they’re the hardest people to reach. The good news is that when we become Christians, we become part of a new family. That doesn’t mean we’re no longer part of our biological family. But we’re related by the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross for our sins.
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In this fantastic 90-day devotional, author and pastor Levi Lusko uses illuminating stories, biblical teaching, and eye-opening surprises about outer space to show kids that they’re never alone because God is always with them. A copy of this beautifully illustrated book will be mailed to you when you make a gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.