Articles, Bible Questions and Discipleship Guides

I have often said that the greatest blessing a child can receive in life is to have godly parents who teach them the Word of God and inspire in them a love for the Lord. 

The Bible does not promise that every child of Christian parents will come to accept Jesus as their Savior themselves, but it does promise that when a child is raised in the foundations of Scripture, their lives will be benefited (Proverbs 22:6). 

Now, this doesn’t mean that children who grow up without godly influences in life are without hope. The power of God to save and redeem someone is not hindered in any way by their family tree. 

Unfortunately, in some cases, parents are not just uninterested in their child’s faith, but hostile. I read recently of two young women in Uganda, teenagers aged 17 and 19, who converted from Islam to Christianity. After the two teens attended a church service, their father beat the 17-year-old daughter to death, and the older daughter escaped and fled from her family home—never to return. 

Tragic stories like this one are not uncommon in the Muslim world. Even here in America, godly children can face scorn, resentment, or even abandonment from their parents because of their decision to follow Christ. Jesus understood that this decision can be a difficult, emotionally charged trial, which is why He gave the blunt assessment that anyone who follows Him must be willing to leave “brothers or sisters or father or mother” (Matthew 19:29). 

History is filled with stories of men and women who have accomplished remarkable work for God, despite persecution or rejection from family. 

The story of Jonathan—the son of King Saul and best friend of future- King David—is an encouragement to anyone with ungodly parents who are hostile to their walk with God. 

Jonathan was the opposite of his father, King Saul. When he is introduced to us in the narrative of 1 Samuel, we observe a young man who seeks God’s will for his life and courageously lives by faith. 

While his father Saul was encamped against the Philistines, passively and faithlessly avoiding battle, Jonathan took matters into his own hands. Along with his armor-bearer, Jonathan engaged a Philistine garrison in combat, killing 20 soldiers. 

God providentially used this initial spark of faith-in-action to throw the entire Philistine army into chaos. Israel was given a great victory from the Lord. 

This dramatic scene provides some insights on how to walk with God, even when those around us won’t. 

DON’T PASSIVELY WAIT FOR GOD TO REVEAL HIS WILL; ACTIVELY SEEK GOD’S WILL. 

Jonathan instructed his armor-bearer, “If [the Philistines] say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us” (1 Samuel 14:10). This might remind you of Gideon, who tested God’s will with the wet fleece on the dry ground, and the dry fleece on the wet ground. 

But there’s a difference to note here: in Gideon’s case, God had already revealed His will, and Gideon wasn’t ready to trust the power of God. With Jonathan, God had not spoken to him directly, and so Jonathan used this sign to confirm that he had God’s blessing in the battle. 

After Jonathan’s victory, Saul sought God’s blessing to pursue the Philistines with his army. But Samuel writes, “[God] did not answer him that day” (1 Samuel 14:37). The truth is, God had already withdrawn His hand of blessing from King Saul. 

We don’t know if Jonathan knew that his father was not in fellowship with God; it’s reasonable to assume he did. But that didn’t stop Jonathan from actively pursuing God’s will for himself, and courageously entering the battle—even when the odds were against him—trusting God’s protection. 

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN OUR LIVES WILL REVEAL FOOLISHNESS IN OUR OWN FAMILIES. 

King Saul, in a rash and arrogant moment, made his army take an oath that they would not eat food for the entire day, until the Philistines soldiers were completely defeated. Anyone who did eat, Saul said, would be executed for defying his order. Jonathan, who was not present when this order was issued, ate honey during the battle. 

When Jonathan was told by the troops about his father’s command, he said, “‘My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great” (1 Samuel 14:29-30). This phrase “my eyes have become bright” relates to the idea of fresh energy. By nourishing himself during the day, Jonathan was a better warrior. The soldiers who fasted that day were not functioning at their best. This would be like a marathon runner refusing a fresh drink at the halfway mark. 

Once the battle was over, Saul added to his arrogance by commanding that Jonathan be put to death. Of course, the army knew that it was Jonathan’s bravery in battle which had sparked the victory that day. Only the wise intervention of the people stayed Saul’s wrath and spared Jonathan’s life. 

Beloved, you might be navigating a tense and difficult relationship right now with an unbelieving parent, child, or spouse. Remember first that loyalty to God is worth more than loyalty to family. Second, remember that your lost family member is not your enemy, they are your mission field. 

The Bible doesn’t promise that your faithful witness and example will lead to their conversion; in Jonathan’s case, it never did. Your wise example might never be appreciated by unbelieving friends or family members. 

But the Bible does promise that you will have fellowship with your heavenly Father and commendation from Him for your faithful walk.