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| jmesmirror,com |
“Yet at the same time many even among the
leaders believed in him.
But because of the Pharisees they would not
confess
their faith for fear they would be put out of
the synagogue,
for they loved praise from men more than
praise from God.
John 12:42-43 (NIV)
John
writes of leaders who secretly believed in the Master’s teachings. These men
feared being cast out of the Hebrew house of worship. He makes a bold statement
about the reason these men were quiet about their thoughts “for they loved
praise from men more than from God.”
Are we
in the 21st Century very different from the leaders who believed in Jesus but
chose not to share their beliefs with those around them? I think not.
I
remember hearing a story about a young man who found the Lord just prior to
going away to college. When he came back to church over a school break, someone
asked him how his friends on campus responded to his new faith. He hung his
head and said, “They don’t know of my faith.”
Does
everyone who knows us know of our faith? A church friend of mine has a burden
for a neighbor who is very seriously ill. As my friend prayed for guidance on
how to reach this neighbor and her family, she received a two word answer—‘Live
it.”
When we
confess our faith before others, we also do it before God. If we keep our faith
to ourselves we impede the growth of God’s kingdom. In my young adult years, a person who kept
his or her status quiet was thought of as fence-sitters—never really taking a
stand for the Lord.
Dear Father God:
Please
give us the strength and the courage to stand for you in this broken world.
Teach us to long for Your praise. Guide us to demonstrate Your love for others
as we go through our daily walk.
All praise belongs to You. I ask this out of Your grace and love. In
the Name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN
"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue"
ReplyDeleteWow. When you see it written out like that...wow. Imagine if they had all just stood up?
Sandi: Thank you for your comment. When I found this verse, I wondered what the 'praise of men' would be, I still think about what it is.
DeleteLive it! it all boils down to these two words. And when people see our life/our good deeds, they will praise our father in heaven!
ReplyDeleteMarja: Thank you for your kind comment. We don't always realize that our actions mean a whole lot. The time when we find out could be very close.
DeleteHi Cecelia! That is the best answer of all. Live it. What else can we do? If all I do is talk about it, it's not going to leave a lasting impression. We all know people who love to 'talk the talk', but we rarely see them walking it.
ReplyDeleteI like you prayer because it asks God to love him first, and to stand for him every day. Beautiful!
Happy Thursday,
Ceil
Ceil: I find it interesting that two little words can carry such an impact. We don't know what the impact will be on those who are younger or those who are ill and their families. I believe that everyone who hears my friend's story will be impressed with the answer she got. I know I was.
DeleteI learned much about sharing my faith from watching a dear friend, who has since gone on to her heavenly reward. She openly told others what the Lord was doing in her life: answers to prayer, how God healed her or a family member, her thankfulness to God, and so much more. This often gave rise to questions and requests for prayer when they were facing difficult situations.
ReplyDeleteSusan: We often learn about sharing our faith in that way. I have a friend who has done this all her Christian life.
DeleteP.S. I'll be linking to this post on February 27th. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan; Thank you for the honor.
Delete