Every day, we wake up to a new alarming story. If I write my Monday Morning Blog about something that happened the previous week, by the Tuesday after the blog posts, it’s old news because there’s another “breaking news alert.”
It can’t help but keep us in a constant state of anxiety and unrest. Many wonder Where is God? Or Why isn’t He doing something? Every time I hear someone say that or read it in print, Matthew West’s song comes to mind, “Do Something.” The first part of this song talks about waking up every morning to a litany of troubling social issues that are all too familiar to us. He even says he shook his fist at heaven asking, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Then, he hears God’s answer: “I did, I created you.”
That’s right, God created you and me to do something. “If not us, then who, If not me and you.”
If you follow me regularly, you know God is relentless in giving me this theme to share. Sometimes, I feel like Isaiah and Jeremiah trying to warn God’s people that a major role of believers is asking God, “What do you want me to do and where do you want me to do it?”
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Coincidently, I just finished reading the Book of Isaiah and am now in Jeremiah on my annual Daily Walk reading plan. Today, I read, a quote describing Jeremiah 26-29: “Those who truly aspire to be Christlike should not be surprised when the mob comes to crucify them.”
Ok I know that sounds a bit foreboding, but today we do see a “mob mentality,” as I wrote last week, that wants to demonize, demoralize, discourage, and dissuade believers from speaking out and stepping out against the immorality and injustice in our culture. And Satan would like nothing better than for us to be silent. But this is nothing new as we can see from the Old Testament prophets to New Testament Jesus and Paul. Look what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church . . .
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist [David Ps. 116:10] had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[c] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[d] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Cor. 4:11-18 NLT
In my upcoming release, Everyday Brave, I quote O.S. Hawkins from his devotional The Believer’s Code, “It takes courage to stand for what is right in our world today. Be strong and have the courage not to condone nor compromise what is clearly opposed in Scripture.” We can do that, right?!
[Tweet “As Christians, if everyone agrees with what we say and do, we’re not being bold for Christ because the Bible and the Christian life is offensive to many in the world today.”]
As Christians, if everyone agrees with what we say and do, there’s a good chance we’re not being bold for Christ because the Bible and the Christian life is offensive to many in the world today.
[Tweet “We can’t please everyone, but we speak the truth in love even if it’s not popular and even when it’s not embraced.”]
We can’t please everyone, but we speak the truth in love even if it’s not popular and even when it’s not embraced. God might be using us as part of someone’s eventual spiritual journey. We can pray that happens.
In Chapter 25, “Brave Believer,” I tell the biblical stories of Phoebe, Damaris, and the prominent women who followed Paul. These women might only have their names mentioned in a verse or two in the Bible, or remain nameless, and yet we know by context that they were all brave believers and played an important role in helping Paul start the early church and share the gospel. Imagine the trials and struggles faced by these women as they watched Paul endure persecution while they served beside him in ministry amid hostility and danger. We can learn from these strong women of faith how to carry on their courageous legacy in a culture that often isn’t receptive to the gospel of Christ.
The present-day brave believer in that chapter was my good friend and author, Penelope Carlevato, who tells the story of risking her career and reputation as a RN circulator in the operating room by refusing to participate in abortions.
Here’s a sneak preview into the section You’re Braver Than You Know in Chapter 25. “In a world antagonistic toward Christians, the Bible, God, and Jesus, a world that refuses to acknowledge that sin is wrong, it takes great courage like Penelope had to stand by your moral convictions and not let today’s cultural war frighten or silence you—especially when shunned, criticized, and ridiculed as she was. It might seem easier just to go with the flow, but when we abdicate to the culture, we deny Christ, the foundation of our faith. Never do we see Jesus or the Apostle Paul shying away from sharing the truth just because someone didn’t like the message.”
[Tweet “In a world antagonistic toward Christians, the Bible, God, and Jesus, and refuses to acknowledge that sin is wrong, it takes courage to stand by your moral convictions and not let today’s cultural war frighten or silence you.”]
“Sometimes we’re tempted to compromise on our beliefs because we don’t want to make waves; we want to keep everybody happy. Impossible. Jesus made waves. We worry how we’ll look to our peers. Jesus worried about the eternal life, more than the earthly life, of both his peers and his enemies. What if they reject or snub us? They rejected Jesus. What if God doesn’t come through for us? God is always faithful; we’re the ones who often let him down.”
[Tweet “Jesus worried about the eternal life, more than the earthly life, of both his peers and his enemies.”]
So here are questions to ask ourselves as we get our brave on:
- Am I willing for others in my circles to know I’m a believer—maybe the only one?
- Would someone have to ask if I’m a believer?
- And if they did ask, what would be my response?
- Would I have the courage to stand by my convictions at the risk of losing my job or friends?
Suffering for the gospel isn’t a punishment; it’s a privilege!*
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How have you had to suffer for the gospel? Will you share with us?
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*Excerpts from Chapter 25, “Everyday Believer” in Everyday Brave: Living Courageously as a Woman of Faith
Janet, you are so on target. Just today a school teacher is criticized for asking his students to stand to say the Pledge of Alligence…he is reprimanded by the principal and probably will lose his job. We have to be brave now more than ever.
Yes Penelope, these are unprecedented times but God never said it would be easy living for Him, but He does show us how to be brave and bold for Him. Thank you for standing up for your faith when it wasn’t easy and for sharing your brave story in Everyday Brave. I know it will encourage many women to not give in to the world’s ways even when it will probably mean a sacrifice.
Amen Sister! It is always important that we understand that God is interested in our day to day activities. The more we get him engaged, the more peace we will have, and the better our lives will be.