Day 2319 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

1 Peter 4:16 NIV

We live in a society where people thrive on praise. Everyone wants to be told they're doing a good job. Everyone wants approval of their choices and actions. Everyone wants to build themselves up so that they feel important and appreciated. Everyone seems to need that kind of external encouragement to justify who they are, how they live, and what they believe. But if we expect to be praised or celebrated by the masses for our choice to live by faith in Christ, well, we're going to be sadly mistaken.

As we've discussed at length over the past couple of weeks, our world doesn't like this way of life that we live as Christians. Things like righteousness, decency, morality, and even honesty are not popular and odds are they may never be. And living in such a way that goes against what's common, what's popular, and what's widely accepted will cause us to feel like outcasts. It will lead us to doubt if it's really worth it. It will make us wonder why we don't fit in when it seems like everyone else does. It's not a comfortable thing, but that doesn't mean it's wrong!

The Bible tells us all over the place that we will be persecuted. We will be cast aside. We will be judged, belittled, made fun of, excluded, and hated because the message we share stands in stark contrast to what this world wants to hear. It only makes sense that when you don't go along with everyone else, they're going to look at you weird. They're going to try to get you to give in and join their number. They're going to do whatever it takes to fracture your faith so that you'll stop being different because that makes them uncomfortable.

I don't know if I'm the only one that looks at things this way, but when someone looks at me weird for being different, it only pushes me further in that direction. The way I see it, if I'm not looked at or judged by others, then I must not be different enough! And when it comes to this world, I truly want to be as different as I can possibly be! We all should. Fitting in while we're hear may make these lives more comfortable. It may mean that we can skip the harsh pushback that comes with walking against the grain of a broken society. But in the end, that different path leads to a far better destination. So I would rather endure some friction here and now than face what lies ahead for those who blindly follow the masses.

I guess maybe the point is that we're going to be judged either way. As we talked about a day or two ago, there will always be someone who disagrees with something we say or do. That's how the world works. But I would rather be judged by the sinful for being a Christian and not playing their twisted games than to go along with them and be judged later on. Worldly judgement, ridicule, and persecution may seem miserable, but they've got nothing on the judgement that comes when our time here is through!

Nobody ever said that a life of faith is easy. Nobody said that being a Christian would make us rich, famous, or popular. But if that's all we want out of life then our goals are pretty pathetic to be honest. So my friends, never be afraid to follow Christ even if it means walking alone. Never be afraid to walk through the minefield of judgement, mockery, and scorn that being different will bring. This is not our home. Our reward isn't found here. We're called to be followers of Christ and our lives should reflect that title. Instead of living to earn worldly acclaim, we should live to earn the pleasure of being called a Christian. It's truly an honor to bear that name!

#LeaveNoSoulUntold