"the world hated Me before it hated you"
John 15:18
I don't know how many of you who read this are Christians. Maybe some of you are unfamiliar with the Bible, and this is something you stumbled on in a search.
But maybe others of you, like me, have been a believer in Christ for as long as you can remember, and are trying to live His will in your life the best you can.
If you are a Christian, you know it's not easy.
* We are assaulted daily by visuals we try to avoid ~ My son and I can't even watch a baseball game on TV without seeing ads that I would consider rated R.
* We have to, many times a day, push back against the temptation to speed, gossip, judge, or lie. Might be to avoid embarrassment, might simply be because it's easier than doing the right thing. But it's a battle, every day.
* Almost every decision we make during the day has an impact on ourselves. Therefore, it's difficult not to choose the best possible outcome for ourselves. Therefore, the opportunities to focus on self occur frequently, and often without warning.
* Et cetera.
I especially feel the battle in terms of my kids. It is simply impossible to protect their minds and eyes and ears and hearts from all the bad and pain in the world. Sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes it's discouraging. Sometimes it just plain makes me mad, and I think to myself, "What is the world coming to??"
But my pastor said something a few weeks ago that changed my perspective. He pointed out that in every generation, starting with the birth of Jesus, and King Herod, the gospel has been threatened. And I thought, really, life hasn't changed all that much.
Somehow that made me feel better. Being Christ was hard. People wanted to kill Him. Why wouldn't being a Christian be hard? Besides, He said it would be hard.
Makes one glad to know that victory is secure.
~ "In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world" ~
John 16:33
~
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