November 6, Family Matters

Today’s reading: Psalms 26-30

“When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the Lord will take care of me” - Psalm 27:10.

When Jesus came, He often had a polarizing effect, for some in a family believed in Him while others did not. That often set the family members at odds with one another, and Jesus did not apologize for that ramification of putting faith in Him. In fact, Jesus had this to say about family and following Him:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it (Matthew 10:35-39, emphasis added).

Jesus was saying that a decision to follow Him was the highest priority in life, even more important than family. Is Jesus more important to you than family? Are you following Him regardless of how your family feels about it? Or have you altered your walk with the Lord in order to please your family? Can you see that you have your priorities out of line if you have done so?