Becoming a Christian can make it feel like your entire world has changed. And in a lot of ways, it has!
This is exciting and can also feel scary. You have an entire life you’ve been living leading up to this point, and you may be wondering how to move forward in relationships with your family and friends who don’t know God.
You may be wondering things like “What do I tell my current friends or my family about my relationship with Jesus?” or “Do I have to get an entirely new group of friends?”
The good news is that no, you don’t have to find all new friends. In fact, you actually have the freedom to invite them into this new experience with you.
Here’s an example from scripture:
In Matthew 9 after Jesus calls Matthew (also called “Levi”), to be one of the twelve disciples, they don’t go to a “disciples only” hangout. Instead, they end up back at Matthew’s house with Jesus, sinners, and tax collectors (presumably Matthew’s friends). In other words, Matthew didn’t hide his faith from those already in his life. He immediately told them, spent time with them, and celebrated!
Matthew’s friends surely had questions, and maybe skepticism, about his newfound purpose of following this little-known teacher named Jesus. Likewise, the people in your own life may already have ideas and opinions about what it means to know God.
We encourage you to welcome these conversations while also knowing that you won’t have all the answers to their questions – and that’s okay!
Focus on the fact that you can only share from your own experience, and from what you’ve learned about Jesus Christ so far.
While you have complete freedom to tell your friends and family about becoming a Christian, you will also want to connect with other Christians in the church who can support you on this new journey.
The beauty of the Christian life is that you can love and walk alongside nonbelievers while also living in community with believers – you don’t have to choose!
There is a unique bond and strength that comes from pursuing community with other believers because God gave us the church so we can carry one another’s burdens, help us become more like Jesus, and join him on mission.
There are various ways to do this, like joining a community group, the Discovering Jesus Experience, or finding somewhere to begin serving on the weekends at church!
Becoming a Christian means that your circle of community gets to grow, not shrink. You can boldly and excitedly tell your friends and family about your faith, and you can grow into new relationships with believers, all at the same time.
We’re cheering you on, and we’re here for any other questions you might have.
