Never Be Embarrassed Standing For the Truth

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Keys to a Blessed Life   Never Be Embarrassed Standing For the Truth By Rick Warren — Nov 9, 2015 “It is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!” (1 Peter 4:16 NLT, second edition) You should never be embarrassed for standing for the truth and doing what’s right. The Bible says in 1 Peter4:16, “It is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!” (NLT, second edition) Let me ask you some questions: Is an insult going to kill you? No. Is a putdown going to kill you? No. Is somebody calling you a name or labeling you because you’ve made a stand for Christ going to hurt you? No. Is some troll on the Internet who’s trying to bait you and get you in an argument going to take you down? No. It’s not going to kill you. You need to understand something that will liberate your life: You don’t need other people’s approval to be happy. You may have been trying to get the approval of a certain person for many years. I hate to tell you, but if you haven’t got it by now, you’re not going to get it. The good news is you don’t need it! You don’t need anybody’s approval in order to be happy. No matter what you do in life, somebody’s not going to like it. You can’t avoid disapproval. So if you’re going to have people’s disapproval either way, you may as well have their disapproval for doing the right thing rather than the wrong thing. This is important to remember as you face opposition. If other people’s opinion matters more to you than God’s opinion, then you’re going to crumble when those people attack you because of your faith in Jesus. But if you focus on God and what you know is right, then you can make a firm stand. “Stand firm against [Satan], and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:9). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Think of a time when you could have stood up for Jesus Christ and what is right. How did your desire for approval affect your response? Where can you find the encouragement you need to stand firm when people oppose your faith? Why does it help to know that there are other believers who are also suffering for the sake of the Gospel?

Today’s Scripture “And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us...” (Ephesians 5:2, AMP) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Delight in One Another Have you ever thought about what it means to delight in others? Or, to esteem and honor the people God has placed in your life? Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted your family and close friends, but we are called to honor and value those around us. You are God’s representative in the earth, and when you make the effort to bless and encourage the people in your life, you are displaying God’s love for them. Not only that, you are displaying your love for God. Notice today’s verse doesn’t say, “Walk in love as long as everyone acts the way you want them to.” It doesn’t say, “Esteem others as long as they treat you right.” No, it simply says, “Walk in love as Christ loved.” There are no conditions to God’s love, and there should be no conditions to our love for others either. Today, show love and sow love and watch how God pours out His love on every area of your life in return! A Prayer for Today “Father, help me to love others today the way You love me. Show me how to be a blessing to the people You have placed in my life. I choose to honor You by honoring others today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”