Christians must guard against bitterness. It poisons our souls. And our temptation to become bitter grows stronger as our world is increasingly hateful toward Christian faith, even defending violent epicaricacy.
These situations can make us bitter, if we aren't careful, especially when the hatred comes from friends or family members who slander, revile, and cut off contact with us.
No matter how kindly and appropriately we share God's truth, some people will reject us. We must remember that they're not simply rejecting us, they're rejecting God's character and His loving commands.
When the Israelites rejected God's original plans for a king, Samuel felt they'd rejected him as their prophet and priest, but God told him, “it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” 1 Samuel 8:7
Many in the church have rejected God as king and created a compromised, worldly faith. We must continue to stand firm prayerfully, carefully, and without bitterness.
We can only do this if we take our Lord's hand, and depend on His strength and courage, not our own. Romans 12 speaks to our situation.
Joshua's statement to the Israelites is pertinent to everyone who claims to be Christian today:
“If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15
Let's serve Christ with unwavering conviction, refusing bitterness and returning good for evil.
For more encouragement, see
No comments:
Post a Comment