Friday; November 18

Do we ever feel like people don’t respect us? Does it seem that no matter how good we try to be, people are constantly critical of us? Wouldn’t it be nice if people would just see that we are good, caring people who want to do what is best for people? Well, while this might sound like it makes sense, I hate to break the news to you, but we probably shouldn’t count on it. Most of us have grown up to believe that if we just do good and try hard, people will respect us; but the truth is that that isn’t a guarantee. In fact, all we have to do is look to the life of Jesus our Lord and Master and realize that it doesn’t work that way. When John reflected on His life he noted, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:4-5). While this sounds pretty depressing, it gets even worse. Not only did the people not understand Jesus, they killed Him. They didn’t just ignore His light … they sought to extinguish it.

While this can be discouraging, there is hope for Christians. Sure, the world may ignore us – or even try to persecute us – but, as long as we stay faithful to the Lord, we will not be alone. There will always be Someone walking with us – Someone encouraging, supporting and guiding us.

When we find ourselves struggling in the world, let’s remember Jesus’ example. No matter what people said or did to Him, He continued to love them by serving them. Just like Him, our circumstances might be tough, but since He has already endured the darkness and overcome it, the Light of our lives will always shine for us (and in us).

Think About It!

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