LUKE 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
Have you ever had one of those mountain top experiences where you have a powerful encounter with God? For many people this happens at a retreat or conference, or at a youth group event. It’s amazing how these experiences can move us to make serious changes and lead us to live radically for Christ. However, just because WE might have had this crazy experience that led us to turn our lives upside down, most often, the people around us in our lives, family members, friends, co-workers, can’t relate.
I know that for me, when I really started to get on fire for my faith, it created a lot of rifts between me and my loved ones. Some of that was because I handled communication and “evangelizing them” poorly. But some of it was also because living radically for the gospel can be confusing and disconcerting for people who aren’t used to seeing you that way. Also, it can create unexpected conviction in their own hearts about what they’re missing out on.
It’s all too easy in these moments where we make the people around us feel uncomfortable, to recoil and allow the passion to dissipate. Ultimately this can lead us to turn back to our old ways and eventually, behave as though nothing had ever happened. This is pretty much the opposite of what God wants.
God absolutely wants us to live radical lives of joy, power and purpose! He wants the love and transformation of our lives to radiate and change the world. One of the hardest things to wrestle with as a Christian, is the principle that fidelity to our relationship with God, is far more important than “maintaining” our earthly relationships. We need to be beacons of hope, power and goodness in what is in many ways a hopeless and godless society. Remain steadfast in the Lord. His promises are true.