You’ve just started your exciting journey with Jesus. Congratulations!
Jesus doesn’t ask you to abandon everyone. Instead, He wants to transform how you love and interact with them. Here is an answer in 5 points.
1. Start with Love
God is love.
So, first and foremost, it’s important to experience and enjoy God’s love for you.
[Learn more about how to “Experience God’s Love”]
When you begin to embrace God’s love for you, you can love others with God’s supernatural love. Because God is love, you who are a follower of Jesus can and are commanded to love.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). He also said that we prove ourselves to be the followers of Jesus if we love one another (John 13:35).
When someone is difficult to love, you can ask God the Holy Spirit to help you. Because He commands you to love, He will enable you to do so if you follow Him.
[Learn more about how to “Radiate God’s Love”]
2. Family & Friends
Family and close friends can be the easiest—or the hardest—people to love as a new Christian.
If they already follow Jesus, they’ll celebrate with you. But if they don’t, they might not understand or accept your new faith right away.
What can make it hard is that they know you well. It’s easy to fall back into old habits with them. They may even prefer the “old you” because it feels familiar and comfortable to them.
But the truth is: you are now a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your past no longer defines you, and an abundant life with Jesus lies ahead.
Ask God to help you see them through His loving eyes. Jesus is with you to help you navigate through your relationships with His grace and truth.
When tensions rise, pause, take a deep breath, and quietly ask God to help you respond with love. When they’re open, ask God what to say.
When you tell others what God has done for you, you’re sharing your personal testimony. You’re testifying to the reality of Jesus in your life.
[Learn more about “Your Personal Testimony“]
Most importantly, be an imitator of Christ and let people around you see your Christ-like actions. They will know that God is real.
3. Other Relationships
This is true with others in your life — at work and in your community. Let your new life speak for itself. You may not have opportunities to share your testimony, but by doing everything as if you were doing it for God, you can flavor the world with God’s grace and shine God’s truth. Jesus calls us “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16).
4. New Relationships with Christians
Jesus doesn’t want you to cut off your current relationships. Instead, He wants you to add new ones because you need friends and a community of people who also love Jesus and follow Him as Lord and Savior.
God is our Heavenly Father. That makes other Christians your brothers and sisters in Christ. You belong to God’s family.
These new relationships with other Christians will encourage you, help you grow closer to Jesus, and give you strength to handle more difficult relationships in your life.
[Learn about “Living as God’s Family“]
5. Relationships That Must End
Some relationships need to end for your good and safety now that you belong to Christ.
If you’re in an abusive situation—whether physical, emotional, or otherwise—God wants you safe and free. He loves you too much to leave you in harm’s way. Leave that relationship as soon as you safely can.
The same goes for any group or connection involved in immoral or illegal activities. God has set you free from those chains, and He doesn’t want you to stay bound by them.
This isn’t about judgment—it’s about protection and healing. Jesus came to give you true freedom and an abundant life full of hope. As God’s child, you deserve relationships that honor you and draw you closer to Him. You’re not alone; God will help you every step of the way.