Have you ever been criticized for doing the right thing (especially from those closest to you)? Have you felt like the more you try to straighten up your life, the more people pick at you and try to find faults and flaws in you. Maybe inside of your own house or among your own relatives, it is happening to you. They only see the bad… or find the bad in you.

Sometimes it feels so unfair because the same ones who put you down are not doing much better. And when you were doing evil things they never had anything bad to say about you. But the moment you strive to change your life, it seems like everything just went downhill.

Don’t be shaken by this. Jesus warned us that this would happen when He said,

and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’

(Matthew 10:36)

It is already written that our enemies will be those who are inside of our own household. Our family, and close loved ones. That’s for us not to be surprised when they rise against us.

But even though they may treat us like enemies, by accusing us, criticizing our faith and new behavior, outcasting us from their social groups and gatherings and so forth. We are NOT called to be an enemy toward them. Jesus said they will be OUR enemies, not that we will be theirs. We must treat them with love and respect and show them the character of God through our actions.

That’s the only chance we have to give a good testimony of the Lord Jesus and show to the enemy that He will not break us with his tactics.

May the God of the Bible bless you

Bishop Bira Fonseca