What would you do if someone threatened you for talking about Jesus?
Would you become more cautious? More silent? More fearful?
Most of us probably would.
But in today’s reading, Peter and John do something completely unexpected. After being threatened by powerful religious leaders and ordered to stop preaching about Christ, they don’t pray for safety. They don’t ask God to remove the opposition. And they don’t retreat.
Instead, they ask for something surprising.
Why would persecution make them bolder rather than more fearful? What did they understand about God that allowed them to see threats differently than most of us do?
And what if opposition, criticism, and even persecution are opportunities for God to do something greater than we ever imagined?
Today’s readings challenge us to think differently about hardship, courage, and the sovereignty of God.
In the book of Isaiah, God said we were created for His glory. One definition for bringing someone glory is to give others the right opinion of that person. How do you look to others? If you claim to be a follower of Christ, do you live in a way that brings Him glory? If, like me, you believe you could do better, here are four ways we can better give others the right opinion of God.
Also, read about what often happens when we try to share our faith with those closest to us and how to keep an eternal perspective instead of being offended by a common reaction.
Do you and I really shine the light of Christ to those around us? Do others see the difference He has made in our lives? Are we bringing Him glory by how we live and treat others? Let’s not answer too quickly. We can be a little like the Pharisees, seeing all the “good things” we believe we do while we are harsh with our family, dishonoring to our parents, unforgiving, and unkind to those we believe have mistreated us. Maybe we need to look a little closer to see if we are living in light of Christ’s omnipresence and omniscience.
There is also a beautiful prayer to pray for ourselves and others in today’s readings and a description of how God wants us to regard His Word.
