Questions & Answers
by Editor(s)

Q: My husband is not a Christian and is not particularly pleased with my commitment to Christ. Wouldn’t God want me to be understanding of where he is and not cause him to be antagonistic? I don’t want to push him away from God.

A: As a Christian, you are operated by the Spirit of Christ who lives in you (1 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:9). As an unbeliever, your husband is operated by Satan’s spirit (John 8:44), and so you can expect there to be some antagonism on a spiritual level. It is not "you" causing the antagonism, but the spiritual battle between the two powers in your household. To "understand" your husband would be to accept the status quo, which would ultimately keep your husband in the clutches of the enemy.

There is no "how to" formula; God one knows what it will take for your husband to want a different way. The best thing you can do to help yourself and him is to stand firm and know Whose life is in you and to be 100% committed to allowing Christ to express Himself through you. Your commitment, even though you may never say a word, will be noticeable and, by its very nature, cause him discomfort. What we stand in faith for, with you, is that he will become disillusioned with his own life and be attracted to the change in you. No discomfort–no reason for change. The discomfort is a good sign. Hang in there and keep talking about it.

Q: I have done so much compromising, living as a "closet Christian" all my life for fear of being rejected. I am not sure how to live out my new commitment to boldly live from who I am in front of my family. They really don’t know where I stand.

A: Actions impress people more than words. As you become more grounded in the truth, your family will not be able to help noticing a change in you. There is a right sorrow and repentance that we all must come to when we see how we have compromised, but don’t let that stop you from moving on and ahead into the activity that Christ has planned to live out through you. As God provides opportunities to talk with your family, trust also that He will be the One speaking. Remember that it is He living as you, not a "just you" trying to figure out the right thing to do. We know from the Scriptures that it is God’s desire to draw all men unto Himself (John 12:32), and He does not want anyone to perish but every-one to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). If you are one spirit with Christ, then His desires are your desires, and you can count on Him to do it rightly through you–to express Himself perfectly to your family.