Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
1 Peter 3:13 -15 (NASB1995)
Today, I bring a somewhat rambling stream of thoughts to you. Please be patient, dear reader. In a recent conversation, someone was speaking of a dear friend of mine, but was not aware of my connection to the person they spoke of. I was in a state of alert in everything they said, but I sighed with relief when they did not say anything untoward about my friend.
By contrast, there have been other occasions when friends have been verbally attacked, and I have had to disagree and/or be the arbiter regarding what is said. A similar situation can arise regarding our faith; be it an attack on Jesus, our Lord and Savior, God the Father, or even on the Word of God. When someone we love is attacked, we have to make a decision on how much we love them and if we are brave enough to stand beside them.
As a believer, I struggle with the profanity I hear every day in public, especially when God’s or Jesus’ name is used as a swear word. If the love of a child of God for the Divine family is genuine, there must be pain when our Divine family is attacked. We expect such behaviour from the godless world, but when it comes from within the church family, the pain is more intense.
The attacks of those in the church family may not be blatant swearing, but are often misuse of God’s Holy Word. Yet again, how much this hurts depends on how much we love the Word of God in our own lives. I come across this often from backslidden friends whose love for God has cooled and maybe even frozen over. It is also seen in those who have been led astray by dubious teaching from various sources; such sources that draw the child of God away from God’s Word.
Dear Reader, thank you for reading thus far! I suspect that if you are secure in God’s Word that these things I write of bother you too – hurting your heart. Do you choose to stand up for your Father and Lord against verbal attacks, whether they be from believer or unbeliever? God does not need us or our help, but He does desire our love, especially when in it, we stand by His side against those who attack Him. The next time someone says wicked things about God in your presence, remember how much He loves you.
Even a dog barks when its master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.”JOHN CALVIN
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
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