Be careful!

Mat 10:17-22

Jesus said to his disciples, "Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation, just because you believe in me. 18 Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you, and me, a favour, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! 19 And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; 20 the Spirit of your Father will supply the words. 21" When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. 22 There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end.

Food for the soul!

What is it that you get from this Jesus' words, "Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation"? What is it that Jesus is telling his chosen people of yesterday and today and for ever? What is it that Jesus is telling you and me, if not that life is not meant to be easy? That life and living is hard even for those that follow Jesus.

Jesus is revealing to us THE WAY LIFE IS. Jesus is saying that life is difficult to everybody, including his disciples. More to this, Jesus is saying that our GOD IS IN CHARGE. However, God being in charge does not mean a suspension of the way life is.

These are two realities difficult to grasp: God in charge; the way life is. Let us take an example. The lion or crocodile will always eat flesh, even of humans. God will not change that. Women will always feel pain in child birth. God will not change that. We will always feel sad when our dear ones die. God will not change that because this is the way life is, the way God made life to be.

God's care is not to be seen as rescue FROM the way life is. It is rather guidance THROUGH the way life is. God does not save us from getting into trouble, He empowers us to go through trouble: "Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you and me a favour, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words."

As someone said, when you get into some storm, and you will surely get into many of them, remember that "God has not forgotten you...He has not abandoned you in your time of desperation. He often works best in your brokenness...a humble heart is more moldable in His hands. Stop worrying about details...quit trying to figure it out - God knows what He's doing. HE IS IN CONTROL. ..EVEN WHEN LIFE ISN'T.  Trust that when your world seems to be falling apart...it's really just falling into place in the hands of your Almighty God."

Today, as I write these words, BBC Radio is announcing Christians that were bombed inside their church as they were celebrating Christmas, in Baghdad, Iraq. Many people are reported dead.

Today, the day after Jesus was born, we are celebrating St. Stephen, the first martyr. As Jesus warned, no one should be naïve. St. Stephen was the first but not the last to suffer for following Christ's teaching. You and I must never be naïve, either. Some people will impugn our motives, others will smear our reputation…proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end.

Whatever you're going through, God is in it. So, keep calm and carry on!