WORD 2day : Saturday, 5th week in Easter time
May 21, 2022: Acts 16: 1-10; John 15: 18-21
People around you find you a pain in the neck, for the right reasons... be happy! People call you outdated and impractical and living in a world that does not exist because you stand by values... don't worry! People dump you and wish to see you destroyed because you disturb their "peace"... don't worry! you are in fact, blessed!
On the contrary, everyone, even the worst among the lot, seems to be comfortable with you... be careful! No one has any problem with your ideas and absolutely every one seems fine with your values... look into yourself! There is no opposition at all to what you do and not even those who discourage you... beware! There is something that is not really alright, in terms of Christ!
Yes! That is what the Lord says today. If you stand by truth and live by values, you are sure to be branded 'utopian' and kept aside from the so called 'steps forward'. If you are really what you call yourself - Christian, that is a follower of Christ - then you are bound to be opposed, derided, persecuted, and even crucified! If nothing of this sort happens, even to the minimal level, may be you are not sufficiently what you claim to be!
In fact, when everything was going very smooth and the Church was growing there, Paul found he was not anymore needed there - he felt called to move to another place and help out there! That is what a Christian call is all about. It is not seeking our comfort zones, but seeking problem areas and making them more and more God-filled.
In our day to day life, it is wonderful to be acceptable to all, but at what cost? As long as you are committed to the values of Christ, whatver happens - don't worry; be happy!