“Moses said, “You have been consecrated today for the Lord, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.“” Exodus 32:29 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/exo.32.29.NET

What holds people back from serving God wholeheartedly is loving men’s praise and approval more than God’s praise and approval. God with us in Jesus the Savior stated plainly that we are unworthy of Him unless we love Him more than our spouse and family. The Levites became the priestly class in Israel because they loved God first and most, as evidenced by their willingness to slay family and friends who were reveling in their worship of the false calf god. This willingness to be against those they knew and loved most to be for God, Whom they loved more than the people around them, set them apart as God’s chosen representatives before Him and the people of Israel. As Christians, we must set ourselves apart from the opinions and approval of family and friends to follow Christ if they won’t follow Him with us. Even Jesus’ brothers mocked Him, for they did not believe in Him, but that did not deter Him from doing the Father’s will for Him. Christians should not be obnoxious toward friends and family who deny Jesus, but neither can they compromise obedience to Jesus before friends and family by thinking, speaking, and doing the same things the pagans do who reject Jesus as Savior. Being different means being singled out, often including some form of persecution. The people of God will suffer for aligning with God even more as the world rejects God.