Do what is Right and Expect a Fight

By G.P. Avants

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.’

                        John 15: 18

            I watch kids at school playing tetherball. Now, the school rules regarding tetherball are pretty simple. They are simple until the kids start changing the rules to suit their needs. The rules get changed and you get dinged for playing the game it was supposed to be.

            I feel that way walking through the world. It seems like the more you try to live a right life or do the right thing you’re going to get opposition.

            We are seeing some weird things happen. Good things are looked at as bad and bad things as the norm. People look at believers as “off” when they don’t follow the things of the world. Instead of being happy that we listen to the Lord, we are seen as old fashion, out of date and out of touch. When rules that God has laid down are ignored, we are expected to follow along. When we practice kindness and it’s laughed at, that’s hard. You try to do what’s honest and fair and you get the shaft. We teach our children to be good kids and they come home crying.

            Jesus told us this would happen. He said that if we lived for Him that the world would hate us. It wasn’t for being pushy, obnoxious, in your face behavior, that we would be hurt. No, it was for loving people and loving God. That was reason enough for the world to hunt us down and make us public enemy number one. That’s screwy but, too true. 

            We don’t feel it in America as much however, in other countries it’s always been that way. I don’t know if that’s good that we aren’t getting persecution for our faith. I am not asking for it but, it’s part of the life Christ said we have. The life of Christ in us grows under trials. Without it we may not mature in all the ways we should.

            However, Jesus said He’d be with us in our struggles. He draws close to a broken, humble heart. Jesus said that we are made perfect in weakness. He wouldn’t allow us to go through more than we could handle (of course He promised His strength, not ours in the deal.). I could go on to list all the benefits finite and eternal in serving the Lord. 

            I am reminded of a lady who worried that her father of eighty was drinking too much milk. “Isn’t that bad for a man at his age?” she asked the doctor. To which he replied, “The benefits far outweigh the risks.” Isn’t that true in this case? It’s so much better to do what is right and suffer for it than go along with the world.