Glory

Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  Luke 9:26 NIV

The time is coming when we will each give an account of our life before God.  Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want the people around me disapproving of what I just said or did? When we keep that in mind and have that kind of long-term thinking, it’s going to change what we say, what we do, and who we try to impress. It’s the people-pleaser antidote.  

Our human nature wants to be liked, wants to compromise, divert, and leave out the truth: at times God's truth. We've all said at one time or another “I just leave that up to God” "To each their own" or “Everybody has to make up their own mind.” There’s a word for that: cop-out! Those are politically correct, people-pleasing cop-outs. In those moments, when we could say something that would be politically correct and wouldn’t offend but would be a lie, remember these truths. And in that pressure moment, try to remember:

* what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. He didn’t deny us. He didn’t back down for us. He died for our sins. He created us. He saved us. He forgave us. He’s taking us to Heaven. We cannot not deny Him;

* that one day we will give an account to God. And at that point God’s going to say, “What did you say to your neighbour? What did you say in that conversation at work? What did you say to your friend at school?” integrity is more important than popularity. And we must strive to not give up our integrity. Speak God's word, the truth and let the chips fall;

* to be ready to share the gospel anytime, anywhere, with anyone. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." 

All of us have been charged with the assignment of sharing the gospel, to be the Spirit-filled ambassador of Christ that the Lord has called us to be. We may struggle with this assignment because we lack the confidence, the passion, or even the know-how to do it. But if Christ is our Savior, then we are His and we have been called for this very purpose.