I have lost track of the number of conversations I have had with believers who, on the one hand, had discovered some of the neglected truths of the Hebrew Scriptures and, on the other hand, had encountered major difficulties in convincing their loved ones of the great value of their “discovery”. For some reason or other, the Messiah’s prophetic word – that “a man’s (or a woman’s) enemies (will be) those of his (her) own household” (Matt 10:36) – is becoming more and more the norm of our day.

The effect of this modern-day pattern in the households of those who have made the unpopular choice of radical obedience to Scriptures, is enormous. Those in the household who have chosen not to rethink or reshape their traditional mode of belief, often feel threatened by the choice their loved ones have made. Some of these may even start looking for an authoritative person or some trusted source of information that may be called upon to prove that the “strange” talk and behaviour of the beloved one is contrary to the established teachings of the church, and should therefore be branded as “heretic”. More often than not, a chat with the pastor or minister – often a good friend of the family – is arranged, and nine out of ten times the outcome of this encounter will be somewhere between “unsatisfactory” and “completely disastrous”.

Praise Yahweh for couples and entire families who make their turn towards Scriptural renewal, TOGETHER!  I have personally seen and met a number of these, and in each single case I was blessed and uplifted by the impact and the vitality of the change that had taken place in those households.

I have often asked myself this question: Why is it so difficult for some people to acknowledge that another member of their own households, sometimes one whom they may regard as inferior to themselves, has grasped some aspect of truth, or some key element of genuine belief, before they did so themselves? Call it what you like – pride or jealousy or stubbornness or the like – but this attitude has been a stumbling block in many households and a source of great disappointment and grief for many.

To those who have seen the light in some areas of belief, and consequently feel a loneliness within their own households that was never there before, one can only say: Keep on seeking Yahweh with all your heart, but do so without neglecting or disrespecting or humiliating any other member of your household in any possible way. And to those who have witnessed certain drastic changes with regards to belief, taking place in the lives of OTHER members of their households: Test and search out these things for yourself, before becoming too critical. Don’t feel threatened by new convictions in the mind and heart of someone you love, which may prove to be quite genuine and may even have a profound impact upon your lives together!