| There will always be scoffers and those who like to | | | | Most of the time you can influence your friends and |
| conger up reasons why your beliefs are wrong or | | | | family to better understand and accept your beliefs if |
| inaccurate. Some of these people might be your close | | | | you do not behave self righteously around them. You |
| friends and family. Maybe they think you are too | | | | are not better than them because you are enlightened |
| religious or too spiritual for your own good, especially if | | | | with Gods truth. On the contrary, they are naïve |
| you have just come into the truth and started living | | | | to Gods truth and now you can be the light for them, |
| under Gods direction for your life. | | | | so they may see the truth. This is how God may use |
| Your friends and family might become jealous and | | | | you as His messenger. |
| envious of your new found peace with God. Your | | | | You can spiritually influence your friends and family by |
| beliefs in God are spiritual and that is what gives you | | | | the way you live your life on a day to day basis. |
| the Spirit of God within you. You have to remember | | | | Remember that talk is always cheap unless you can |
| that not everyone has experienced the spiritual | | | | back it up with your actions. If you are a mixed bag of |
| enlightenment that has brought you closer to God. | | | | tricks, saying one thing and doing another, your friends |
| Without the workings of the Holy Spirit in people's lives, | | | | won't be influenced one iota. If you preach to them and |
| it is easy for them to scoff at what is unseen and | | | | act like you know it all, you will also not influence your |
| unfelt by them. | | | | friends or any new ones for that matter. |
| It is wrong and quite selfish for friends and family to | | | | If you want to influence your friends and family then |
| scoff at your beliefs, but what can you do? You can | | | | live the good life everyday. Be consistent with your |
| be a good example to them through what you do with | | | | beliefs and the way you live your life. Let them see |
| your life. Do not let scoffers (society) tell you who you | | | | your fruits multiply and your blessings mount up as you |
| are? Don't pretend to be like them when you're not | | | | stay faithful always to God. |
| because it is not being faithful to God. | | | | Similarly, encourage the young men to be |
| Sometimes you will have to disassociate yourself from | | | | self-controlled. In everything set them an example by |
| your old friends and even your family if they will not | | | | doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, |
| accept your beliefs. A man cannot be something for | | | | seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be |
| his friends one moment and then go home and be a | | | | condemned, so that those who oppose you may be |
| goody two shoes for God in another moment, or vice | | | | ashamed because they have nothing bad to say |
| versa. This is not being true to who your are and the | | | | about us. |
| intentions that God has set out for your life. | | | | |