I was hoping to get specific instructions on how to answer my mum and dad, and what to tell them. Instead, I received a simple directive from God: Be his witness.

The answer gave me great comfort. It was as if God was telling me I had done the right thing in choosing to follow him, and my mission now was to share my discovery with my family. I wasn’t being asked to choose between Jesus and my parents; I was being tasked to share Jesus’s love with them.

Someone outlined my mission in a way that strengthened and inspired me:

Imagine that you and your family are living in a closed box. As far as you are concerned, the whole world is what you see inside the box. If someone were to tell you there was a bigger, better world outside, you’d think he was being ridiculous. One day, however, you find a key that opens a door in the box. You open the door and realize it’s true—there is indeed a world beyond the box that is bigger and better.

What would you do? Would you throw the key away and stay in the box with your family because you don’t want to disrupt the harmony at home? Or would you step out of the box, explore the world outside, and then come back to share what you’ve found with your family?

Luke 6:39 emphasizes the importance of us recognizing and understanding the truth ourselves before we seek to share it with others. Jesus said, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?” We cannot lead others in the right direction unless we’re sure the path we’re taking is the correct one.

This verse gave me great encouragement. Now that I had found the truth—only Jesus can save us—I could lead my family to this wonderful discovery. And the best way to do this was by loving and honoring my parents. Through my words and actions, I could show them Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world. This new mission strengthened my resolve to be doubly sure of my new faith. Before I shared my discovery, I knew I had to have a clear understanding of what I believed.

In the process, I had to be able to answer fundamental questions such as: Was Jesus real, or was this just another religion? Was he really the Lord and Savior of the world? Why should I worship him? Could I trust what the Bible says about the person and work of Jesus?