A few days after I was born again (at 20 years old,) I nervously met with two close family members. My goal was to share how Jesus saved me, but I was unsure of how they would react, given their different religious beliefs.
As I talked about accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, my family members stared at me with blank faces as if I were speaking a foreign language. When I finished talking, one of them reluctantly said, “Well, I’m glad you found God.”
Over the months, years, and decades that followed, I consistently lived out my faith and shared the gospel with these individuals as opportunities arose. I knew they could not deny the Holy Spirit’s supernatural transformation of my heart and mind, even though they were uncertain about my “new religion.”
I also invited them to hear my husband preach during various ministry outreaches and holiday events, and they agreed to attend. They even witnessed a supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon a room full of youth, but they seemed unmoved and unimpressed by it. Their continued resistance and unbelief kept my prayers ignited for their deliverance and salvation for decades.
A few years ago, the Holy Spirit prompted me to have another conversation with them, but this time about eternity specifically. As I sat across from them in their living room, ready to share what the Lord put in my heart, it felt like history was repeating itself. The same nerves I experienced decades earlier emerged from the shadows and filled my stomach with butterflies. But I knew it might be my last chance to talk to them about spiritual matters, so I did not waver.
Initially, I had high hopes for this meeting, given that I had prayed for them for so many years. But after sharing my heart, the gospel, and the reality of eternity, I was met with resistance once again. Unfortunately, our meeting abruptly ended after one of them said, “I don’t believe you have to be born again to go to Heaven,” and I responded to the contrary.
I share this personal story with you because sharing the gospel with family members can be challenging, to put it mildly. Their familiarity with us can make our message seem ineffective or fall on deaf ears, and our nerves and concern for them can result in jumbled words or difficulties communicating.
Nonetheless, we cannot underestimate the Holy Spirit’s ability and power to impact their hearts and minds as we share the truth of the gospel. We may not see the fruit of repentance, but the seeds we plant today can impact tomorrow in ways we never anticipated. So, keep sharing the truth faithfully with those you adore.
