Having good, godly and healthy relationship with your relatives is a blessing. Your cousin, uncle and nephew belong to your family, and if God cares for you, realise that God cares for them, too.
In Acts 16, we read that Paul and Silas were imprisoned. As they were worshipping at midnight, a quake shook the prison, cracking the cells. A jailer stationed there almost killed himself because of fear, but was stopped by Paul and Silas. What happened next was an amazing thing:
"The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household."
And they shared the Word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptised. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
God was not content to save just the jailer—He wanted to save the jailer's whole household, including everyone who lived in his house! Aren't you excited to see God save your whole family?
Here are some tips to improve your relationship with your relatives, and gain the opportunity to share the gospel with them.
1. Think of their needs
In looking for ways to bless your relatives, one of the best things to do is to consider their needs. In Mark 1:29-31, we read that Peter's mother-in-law was sick. The disciples told Jesus of her condition, and the Lord then went to her and healed her of her sickness.
When your relatives need help for anything, try your best to help them. Of course, the best thing to do would be to pray for them.
2. Don't exclude them from your faith
While you might be tempted to exclude some of your relatives from your faith because of past hurts or other reasons, you should remember that God loves them as much as He loves you. Don't discourage them from getting closer to God, serving Him in church, or even becoming a Christian better than you already are. Think about Cornelius' example in Acts 10, when he called all of his relatives and friends to hear the good news of Christ.
3. Serve God with them
There's nothing better to do with your relatives than to serve God with them. Take Moses, for example. He had his brother Aaron and sister Miriam with him as he served the Lord. Or take young Timothy, who has his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois as women of faith before he became a servant of God himself (see 2 Timothy 1:5). God will bless your relationship with your relatives more when you serve Him together with them.
