Daily Huddle - Thu Dec 10, 2020 Likes

Love you all, praying for you… 
 
Have you ever noticed?  One of the most powerful forces on earth is the need to be liked.  Social Media is based on it.  How many likes do you have?  Does that define you?  How many friends do you have? How many people like you or agree with you?  Have you ever had someone not like you?  Why?  Hopefully you didn’t do something unjust or unfair or unkind to them.  But if you didn’t… what if you just did something that they didn’t agree with, or said something that they thought was not true or fair or accurate – when it was.  Some people just don’t like you, no matter what you do.  Don’t use that as an excuse for unkindness, but some people hate others for no reason.  God says the wicked hate the righteous. (That doesn’t mean you are the righteous all the time), but it does mean that people can hate you for no reason, or just because you stand for what’s right.  When they’ve been led to believe wrong is right.  Some people dislike you because you do what is right, or tell the truth, and they don’t like it.  They think otherwise, they believe otherwise.  And truth doesn’t really matter, it’s the majority opinion, or the vocal minority that will hate you if you don’t agree with them, or don’t condone their opinions.    Have you ever noticed, most every time in life that truth or courage is required.  It will always be at the expense of likes, of people liking you.  The Pharisees hated Jesus.  (Now don’t get carried away, you’re not Jesus, so the analogy has its limitations) but the wicked will hate you for no reason.  Some people need to be liked so much, that they will sacrifice truth, or right, so as not to offend others.  The disciples were worried when Jesus spoke the truth.  Later, Peter under threat of physical harm said,  “You judge for yourselves, whether its better for me to obey you or to obey God.”  Some people will not only dislike you, they will attempt to destroy you, your reputation, your income, your property, even your family or their safety.  Courage always faces adversity.  If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be courage.  Where is God calling you to have courage?  To take a stand for what is right, even if its unpopular, even though many may oppose you?  Look at every great man or woman of God in the Bible.  Were they liked by everybody?  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, Esther, Paul, Peter, Silas or Timothy?  Don’t be disliked for treating people poorly, that’s just cause and effect.  But if you are to stand for what is right, you will be disliked.  Jesus said “A servant is not above his master, nor a student above His teacher.”  So what do you do when you’re faced with something that may cause some people to dislike you?  Or even to unfriend you or come against you?  What does God say?  Proverbs 28:4 – Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them.  (those who keep the law strive with them)  NLT  To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them. (To contend with them).   We would rather not contend with people, we just want to live our lives peacefully and be liked by everyone.  Unfortunately, that is not possible.  There will come a time, when you have to stand up for truth, when many believe a lie, when you have to do something because God says it is right, and its what He wants you to do.  And not everyone will like it, or like you.  You may lose friends, or gain enemies.  But God said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.  John 12:42 – Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  Paul didn’t have a lot of likes on facebook.  He was hated everywhere he went, his enemies followed him from town to town, they multiple times tried to kill him.  But God spared his life each time.  He warned in Galatians 5:7 – You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?  People were saying, OK, believe in Christ, but you still need to be circumcised.  Paul said, v 11 Brothers, if I am preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?  In your life you will eventually be faced with - standing for truth, or siding with the crowd.  It will take courage, you will lose likes, and maybe friends, you may gain powerful enemies.  But God is the one who protects you.  Your life is in His hands.  He is the God of truth, and He hates lies, uneven scales, false accusation and slander.   He is faithful, He will be with you and protect you and deliver you.  You can trust Him fully.  Praying that you will first be able to discern the truth, then - speak the truth in love, that you will ask God how, and He will show you.  That you will stand for those who cannot stand for themselves.  That you will know what God is doing, and saying, and what side He is on.  That you will never be disliked because you are unkind to people, but that you will speak the truth in love, and always seek the praise of God over the praise of men.  Praying that God will give you courage to do what is right, and the faith to know that He will deliver you from every attack of the evil one.  That your praise and your joy will be in Him.    
 
Love you all,
dad