He didn’t say we should avoid our relations instead; we should not be tied down from putting God first. We should obey God and serve Him; we should be willing to leave the comfort zone of our family to go serve God wherever He sends us whether they like it for us or not. Acts 5:29. This sometimes is not easy but His grace in our lives enables us to obey Him first and promptly irrespective of whose ox is gored.
Peter in His first epistle encourages Christians to bear persecution as those who persecute us might through our godly virtues appreciate our lives and more so when they come to Christ hopefully.
“I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.” 1Peter 2:1112 (GNB)
Paul came to a conclusion in the heat of his persecution when he said: “I rejoice because I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of, because through my boldness the Messiah will be exalted through me, now as always, whether I live or die. For to me, to go on living is the Messiah, and to die is gain.” Phil. 1:20-21 Bible records this for the apostles: “They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.” Rev. 12:11
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