Seek to be authentic, not popular!

Luke 6:20-26

Then he turned to his disciples and said, “What happiness there is for you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours! What happiness there is for you who are now hungry, for you are going to be satisfied! What happiness there is for you who weep, for the time will come when you shall laugh with joy! What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine! When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For you will have a great reward awaiting you in heaven. And you will be in good company—the ancient prophets were treated that way too! “But, oh, the sorrows that await the rich. For they have their only happiness down here. They are fat and prosperous now, but a time of awful hunger is before them. Their careless laughter now means sorrow then. And what sadness is ahead for those praised by the crowds—for false prophets have always been praised.

Food for thought!

We all like to be liked. We all love to be loved. But Jesus is saying that that is dangerous. Our task, he says, is to be true, not popular. Our task on earth is not to be liked or loved by men but by God. What does this mean? What does it mean to be true but not popular? It means that if our goal is to be popular or be liked or loved, we will sacrifice the truth; we will bend the facts to match others' expectations; we will seek to please people; we will seek the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them.

Jesus had no doubt which way in the end brings happiness; it is the way of the truth. If by saying the truth we suffer, if by leaving the truth we are despised, then that is good. This is what Peter says in his letter: "It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad." (1Pt 3:17). What does this mean?

It means that sometimes we must stand for what is right even if by so doing we might experience a loss of friends. It means not giving in to evil schemes even if by so doing we might experience a loss of ill-gotten gain. Suffering for wrong is punishment, suffering for good is glory. Remember, our task is not to be popular but true and genuine and authentic.