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Question: What do you do if you have a Christian family that judges you for not fitting into the ‘church mold’?
Answer: It depends what you mean by “the church mold”. If ‘not fitting into the church mold’ means that you are disobeying the things commanded by Jesus in Scripture, then you are in the wrong and need to repent. If by ‘not fitting the mold’ you mean that you are being disobedient to church culture for pride’s sake, then you need to consider the matter prayerfully—it could have varied results. If you are just being yourself and trying to be a missionary to your culture—and thereby breaking the ‘consumeristic, self-centered church mold’, then I say “AMEN! Welcome to New Testament Christianity.”
When it comes to handling judgment from others—including family—ask them to show you where in Scripture they are deriving their opinions. Remember to be respectful.
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Question: Is there are moral inventory in the Bible that one can take to see if they are on the right path?Answer: You might want to read 2 Peter 1:3-12. There you will find a series of things you might use to evaluate your spiritual vitality. I would advise that you keep in mind that it is not your works that make you acceptable before God, but rather the works of Jesus in His life, Death, resurrection, and return form the foundation of your hope in Him.
