16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
Have you ever been completely caught off guard? Perhaps in a sport, you didnt see a tackle coming. Or a friend suddenly said something harsh and it side-swiped you. Perhaps you became a Christian and started telling all your friends, expecting them to be as excited as you and their response surprised and hurt you. I was once attacked and punched in the gut by someone I didnt see coming. I wasn’t able to prepare myself for the blow and the surprise meant that I was winded, hurt and shocked at the same time.
As Christians we rarely see attacks coming. We think that because we are following God and trying to make the world a better place that everything will work out fine. Then something comes against us and we run away or start doubting our direction, ‘maybe this wasn’t God’s will.’ However, the moment you step up, you enter the fight, you become a threat to the devil and you need to expect push back. I believe that God wants to do unbelievable things through you, that he has plans in your life that will transform the world around you. However, there will be conflict, there will be attack, there will be push back because you are in a spiritual battle and you are standing for something. Conflict is a sign that you are following Jesus.
That sucker punch is not the only time that I have been in a fight. What I have discovered is that being punched in the face is a horrible experience. However, it is nowhere near as bad as the fear of being punched in the face. The same is true of rejection and disappointment. While we must expect attack, we cannot allow the fear of those potential attacks to cause us to hide away. We are not called to live in the shadows.
So, let us not be naive to the attacks, afraid of them or shaped by them. Walk as innocent as a lamb and as shrewd as a serpent. See them coming and brush off the dust of rejection and pain, because God wants to make a difference through you in this dark world. We are sent ones, bringing love and healing to a hurting world.
Reflect
- Where have you experienced push back for your faith?
- How will you respond when you are next attacked?
Respond
Pause and pray for strength and courage. Have you allowed fear of rejection to hold you back? If so, spend some time releasing that fear and giving it to God.
