Sometimes we can get on with our family really well, other times it can be a struggle. Maybe we have different views, beliefs or personalities which can make things challenging. Maybe the rest of our family aren’t Christians. Maybe there have been traditions running in our family for generations that we don’t agree with but are expected to follow. In the Old Testament, we’re told about Gideon. He grew up in a family of idol-worshippers. It was a cultural thing; everybody did it at the time. But God had plans for Gideon, so the angel of the Lord visited him one day and said, ‘Tear down the altar of Baal that your father has…and build an altar to the Lord your God’ (vv.25-26 NKJV). This wasn’t just going against the tradition of his family, but also against society. Going against the status quo would have been tricky for Gideon. The Bible tells us that he was afraid. ‘Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime’ (Judges 6:27 NIV). When he stepped out in faith to obey God, people wanted to kill him. But because Gideon said yes to God, he ended up changing people’s beliefs. Change in our families can begin with us, just like it began with Gideon. We can be the one who decides to follow Jesus when no one has before. We can be the ones to act with integrity and grace when people hurt us, even when that’s not been the way family members have reacted to us before. Are we prepared to bring positive change to our families, homes and lifestyles?

What Now?

Pray for opportunities to tell any non-Christian members of your family about Jesus and the difference He’s made in your life.