Thursday; June 10

At some point in our lives, most of us are going to fall on some hard times. While some of these struggles might be due to something that is beyond our control (due to things like natural catastrophes or a nationwide economic downturn), most of the time our struggles are due to our own actions. Interestingly, the Bible divides this even further by describing difficulties that are caused by a godly life centered in a worldly society and those that are caused by our own moral/legal problems. The Apostle Peter taught the early church, “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (I Peter 4:15-16). In addition to being one of the few times the word “Christian” appears in the New Testament, it also explains one of the basic differences between human troubles – those caused because we are Christians and those caused when we don’t act like Christians. When we bring problems on ourselves because of immoral or illegal behavior, we should feel bad; however, persecution for our faith should not cause embarrassment or shame.

We are blessed to live in a permissive society where there is a lot of tolerance for behavior; yet, we must make it a point to live a good Christian life. When we do, we will stay out of most legal and moral problems. Yet, even if we do become victims of a godless world because of our faithfulness; God will not only stand by us, He will protect us.

Think About It!

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