Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.”
King spent much of his thirty-nine years fighting for the legal desegregation of African-Americans and knocking down barriers that prevented them from their right to vote. His actions were often unpopular, even among many clergy. He addressed clergy and their objections in the Letter from Birmingham Jail.
King’s positions were neither safe, politically expedient, or popular with many people. But he pressed on because he knew God would “judge everyone according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6). If he had kept silent and bowed to the popular sentiments of his day, perhaps he would still be alive.
In so doing, King followed the example of Jesus who resisted the opinions of the theological and religious leaders of His day. In fact, He turned much of their theological understanding about loving God and loving others on its head. No wonder they said he was of the devil (Matthew 12:24). No wonder a crowd tried to hurl him off a cliff when they believed His claim to be God (the truth!) was blasphemous (Luke 4:29).
Sometimes our biblical and Christlike actions will be rejected by others. Those who stand strongly for Jesus and the truths of Scripture are seldom popular in their day. They’re opposed and can even wind up dead (Luke 13:34; Acts 7:54-60). When people oppose us for doing right, let’s remember that “each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12). By His strength and leading, may we courageously do what’s right in His eyes.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 5:1-47
More:
Read Galatians 1:10 and consider what it means to do what’s good in God’s sight.
Next:
Are you more concerned with pleasing people than God? Why is it vital for you to love others even if they judge you unfairly?
ericjohnallas on June 26, 2017 at 12:04 am
Ephesians 4
[32]Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
It is for Jesus Christ who loves us unconditionally we love others although it is hard by God’s Grace we can do it. It is all fir Him
Colossians 3
[17]And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
We can do it if we are fully surrendered to Him and it is Christ through the Holy Spirit who lives on us now.
Galatians 2
[20]My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Colossians 1
[16]for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
It is He who empowers us even we are surrounded by people who opposes us let us rely on Him and let our lives reflect the Love of Christ do they will see and Glorify God.
1 Peter 2
[12]Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
1 Peter 3
[9]Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.
sandy229 on June 26, 2017 at 1:53 pm
May God shower you with the Shalom peace only He can give.
Marlena Graves on June 26, 2017 at 5:25 pm
Thank you for sharing Scripture to turn our minds toward Christ and his ways.
ericjohnallas on June 26, 2017 at 12:51 am
2 Corinthians 5:13-18
[13]If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.
[14]Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
[15]He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
[16]So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
[17]This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
[18]And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
Gary Shultz on June 26, 2017 at 5:37 am
Hi Marlena: I’m sure at times we do the pleasing people thing, at times that’s okay. To please a follow authority, local law enforcement, family members, even the boss. Of course we both know the problem begins, like the early disciples, when we answer to a higher standard. Like many years ago, kids used to ask me if I wanted a smoke? They didn’t care about me, they weren’t my friends, but they wanted me to join their activity to make them look less foolish. Of course in any of the “join the crowd thinking” good values seem to be avoided. As we live life there will always be a finger pointed toward us because we cannot live life perfectly. What and how we allow those encounters to align us with truth, will be the test. Because of Christ we can live a life that calls to a different standard. We should and will look different, and a crowd that is drifting the other way will not like to be seen in a dim light. Yes Marlena, we do need to show people Christ’s love, it will not be easy, but it will be the only thing of lasting value they may see. Thanks Marlena
Marlena Graves on June 26, 2017 at 5:28 pm
I often wonder if following Jesus is never inconvenient for me, if I am following him at all. Thank you!
remembered on June 26, 2017 at 6:59 am
“As souls born again, as our high and exalted birthright, we are never to venture to stoop to anything low, cheap, or questionable, never to be found in suspicious places, never to let our good be evil spoken of. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so much higher, purer, nobler, should be a Christian’s ways above those of the sinner. Never need [you] apologize to the world because [you] dare…to do righteousness.
Christ describes His people as a city set on a hill; they cannot be hid. His eyes were directed to the city of Saphat set upon a hill. The city was in full sight, and could be seen from a great distance catching the beams of the morning sun and flashing back its evening glories from its bright battlements.
The Bible Christian is a [being] of principle, sober, watchful, prayerful, a [child of God] full of faith and good works. [A being] not seeking the prominence of the hill, but is firm, established, strengthened, settled. It requires a sound conscience to do the works of Christ. It requires consistent and holy living. By much prayer, watching unto prayer, self-denial, the true Christian lifts the cross of Christ and follows in His footsteps. [A being who] walks with God, not with Satan. A Christian is the world’s light, and the only Bible that many…can read.
God help you, my brother [or sister] to be a true Christian, consistent today, consistent tomorrow, always solid in speech, with no frivolity, no lifeless or trifling words. [Who] reaching up unto Christ…does not fall into spiritual declension. “Walk as wise men, not as fools.” My brother [or sister] seek to be a well built Christian, having a character symmetrical in all its parts. Be always inquiring. “Is my name written there, on the books bright and fair?”“
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8
Tom Felten on June 26, 2017 at 9:28 am
Thanks for these insights, Marlena. As Jesus live out, it can at times be unpopular to share the truth. May we speak it in love today, truly desiring to do what will honor Jesus and what will be most helpful for others.
minkjh on June 26, 2017 at 5:02 pm
Tom, I fully concur with you. It seems there are far too many today who have caved in to the world’s message that flies in the face of scripture. The faithful remnant can either hunker down, accept it, and continue along that road, or step out in faith and meet the challenges head on that believers need to address. We should never be ashamed of the gospel.
Marlena Graves on June 26, 2017 at 5:31 pm
Amen. We should never be ashamed of the gospel. And the gospel will sometimes compel us to do things that are not only unpopular in the world, but among Christians. Sometimes the world seeps into our Christian culture. MLK and others fought that here and Dietrich Bonhoeffer in WWII Germany.
envirotact on June 26, 2017 at 10:14 am
Even in this “Christian” forum, if you post the wrong thing or the politically incorrect thing, your comments are deleted. So….maybe ODB should start at “home”.