MATTHEW 9:24 KJV
24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but
sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Do others think you are crazy for being a follower of Jesus? Do they think you are too extreme for believing the Bible literally? Well, don't feel lonely. Jesus faced the same type of problems. As we see in Matthew 9:24, sometimes people derided Jesus. They did not just laugh at Him -- they laughed Him to scorn. They made a big deal out of it.
It is the same today. When we believe what Jesus said, there may be times when others think we are crazy. They may laugh at us. They may even mock us for believing God's Word. That is nothing new. But why should you let it affect you?
Often we are too concerned about what other people think. After all, they are not our Judge. Nor are they our Provider. But God is, and we should care what He thinks. That was the stance that Jesus took.
We must remember that we are not in a popularity contest. Yes, to some people the message we have to share will be received with gladness and thankfulness. I am sure the parents of the girl Jesus raised from the dead -- after He was laughed to scorn -- were glad. But to others we are often not understood.
That really is the root of the problem. People are in darkness. They do not understand what is really happening. They don't understand there is a spiritual side of life. They do not understand that the words we speak are important and carry authority. They do not understand that with faith in God, nothing is impossible. And people generally mistrust what they do not understand.
So we must walk in love and be patient with people, knowing that they are in darkness -- but someday they will see the light. If we continue to walk in the light ourselves, we can be the means of God's light beginning to shine into their lives and bring understanding.
SAY THIS: I choose to believe the Word of God regardless of what other people think. I am a believer, not a doubter.
Do others think you are crazy for being a follower of Jesus? Do they think you are too extreme for believing the Bible literally? Well, don't feel lonely. Jesus faced the same type of problems. As we see in Matthew 9:24, sometimes people derided Jesus. They did not just laugh at Him -- they laughed Him to scorn. They made a big deal out of it.
It is the same today. When we believe what Jesus said, there may be times when others think we are crazy. They may laugh at us. They may even mock us for believing God's Word. That is nothing new. But why should you let it affect you?
Often we are too concerned about what other people think. After all, they are not our Judge. Nor are they our Provider. But God is, and we should care what He thinks. That was the stance that Jesus took.
We must remember that we are not in a popularity contest. Yes, to some people the message we have to share will be received with gladness and thankfulness. I am sure the parents of the girl Jesus raised from the dead -- after He was laughed to scorn -- were glad. But to others we are often not understood.
That really is the root of the problem. People are in darkness. They do not understand what is really happening. They don't understand there is a spiritual side of life. They do not understand that the words we speak are important and carry authority. They do not understand that with faith in God, nothing is impossible. And people generally mistrust what they do not understand.
So we must walk in love and be patient with people, knowing that they are in darkness -- but someday they will see the light. If we continue to walk in the light ourselves, we can be the means of God's light beginning to shine into their lives and bring understanding.
SAY THIS: I choose to believe the Word of God regardless of what other people think. I am a believer, not a doubter.
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