Enemies within the Household

Jesus said...

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw— a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'" Matthew 10:34-36

I don't know about any of you, but one thing I have noticed since becoming a Christian is how the words of Jesus ring more true each day it seems. Of course, when you believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father in heaven you are going to incur the wrath from unbelievers and liberal Christians, if they are true Christians at all. Furthermore, when you preach the finished work of Christ, by that I mean such things as not being under law and not having to continually ask for God's forgiveness, you will incur the wrath from your Christian brethren. But, one thing that I have noticed is the wrath that I have endured from within my own family for the changes I have made in other areas of my life that I trace directly to the Lords influence on me.

Not long after becoming a Christian I noticed how not only did I start to question the religious beliefs I was brought up on, but I also started to question my social and political beliefs as well. As I matured in my faith, I felt the Lord leading me to see the world from a more conservative Christian point of view. In a nutshell, I changed my political affiliation from Democrat to Republican. By no means was this a full endorsement of all things Republican. It was just that I felt what I believed could better be expressed from a Republican point of view. I even started to realize and respect the Judeo-Christian heritage this country was founded on and which is now under attack. And this brings me to my main point. The other day I posted on a public website a quote attributed to John Jay, the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States. Jay says, "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers." I followed that up by lamenting the fact that how in the 232 years of this country's existence the Judeo-Christian heritage of it is now seen as unconstitutional. Well, that did not sit well with a cousin of mine. She responded to my post with the following:

"[I]t's so funny how you think that everything that has been done this last 232 years is righteous and of God."

Maybe I am wrong, but how is a quote by one of the Founding Fathers about American's preferring Christian leaders suggesting that everything ever done by this country is "righteous and of God"? It is not. But, there is a history between me and my cousin. A few years ago, we were both at a family gathering when the subject of politics came up. My cousin was not involved in the initial conversation, but must have overheard that I had voted for President George W. Bush. She comes over to me and quietly asks me, "Are you a Republican?" I silently said to myself, "Here we go!" I thought I was prepared for what was coming. The moment I responded affirmatively, she blirted out that, in her opinion, "George Bush is the AntiChrist!" Yes, you read correctly. Now, this comes from a family member and supposed sister in Christ. There was no asking me why I voted like I did or what led me to that decision. Not to even mention the total butchering of scripture on display. All I got was a condemning diatribe because I didn't see things her way. But, it gets worse. She later approached me and asked me "Do you have white friends?" I kid you not.

You see, I am of the opinion that my cousin believes if you are an African-American you are supposed to support the policies and candidates of the Democratic Party without question as well as have an unforgiving heart towards the country because of its history of racism and segregation. Well, I also believe that a Christian should, as best they can, filter their worldview through the Scriptures and the verifiable facts of history and not simply through the prism of the experiences of a particular group of people. Anybody with any knowledge of history understands that it was a strong belief in Christian values and the leading of the God of the Bible that helped this country right the terrible wrong of slavery as well as seeing us through other tough times. But, what upset me the most was that because of my views I was attacked as though I was somehow "selling out" my race by adopting views not widely held within the African-American community. Well, so be it! I am first and foremost a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If relying on God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to lead me into all truth makes me a "sellout" to some, than I'll be a sellout.

Don't get me wrong, being a Christian doesn't mean you have total knowledge of history or are correct in all you believe, do and say. However, we should be able to reason from the scriptures or the history books to learn what is the correct view of things. There is a saying that goes "Blood is thicker than water." It is meant to indicate that family comes before anything else. Well, truth should come before anything, especially God's truth. If I am wrong about something I pray God give me a teachable spirit and a humble heart. I also want to be able to turn the other cheek and be forgiving towards those who sin against me. But, if others would rather hang on to error and false accusations, I am not the one to change their mind. All I know is that a point is not made by personal attacks. The only thing that is revealed is the ignorance and immaturity of the one making the attacks. As I told my cousin after this latest comment, "I am not looking for you to agree with me, but I hope you at least have clarity as to where I am coming from." I have forgiven my cousin, but try not to subject myself to confrontations if at all possible. But, rest assured, with God's help, I will try to stand for the truth, biblical or otherwise, even if it means I have enemies in my own household.