Thursday, April 24 2008

" 'If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. . . .' " (John 15:20)

It is hard for a lot of Christians to understand how their friends and family can suddenly turn against them. People they have been close to for years suddenly become hostile, simply because they have said they were now following Jesus Christ.

Many of us many times amazed at how parents have turned against children. Perhaps we've heard teens and young adults how they were strung out on drugs, or living sexually permissive lives, or getting in trouble with the law all the time. Then they found Christ and their lives changed. They began living moral lives. Their parents were angry with them for coming to faith when, in fact, they should have been elated by the change.

Sometimes, even parents won't understand what the Lord is doing in our life Sometimes, our extended family won't understand. Sometimes, your husband or wife won't understand. Sometimes, your friends and coworkers won't understand.

Remember when Saul, later to become the apostle Paul, was striking out against Christians? One day on the Damascus Road, he met none other than Jesus Christ himself who said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4). Saul thought his fight was with the Christians. But it wasn't It was with Christ himself.

People take their hostilities out on us because you are God's representative. And probably we experience after we have spoken with people who discover we’re Christians, suddenly they begin dumping everything they have against God on us. Friends, we should know that it is a great honor to be God’s representatives. But with that honor comes responsibility. Be careful. Don't keep someone away from Christ by misrepresenting Him.