Game Changer Week 1 Devotional Day 6

Day 6 – Saturday

Daily Devotional

Read

Mark 6:1-6; James 1:2-4; Matthew 5:9-12

Ask

What is your response when you are ridiculed? What can you learn from Jesus’ response in this passage?

Reflect

Our former church, in a small town, experienced a painful separation of relationships, due to a difference of opinions. The people caught in the middle struggled to maintain any relationship for fear of taking sides. Yet, one day I spoke up for a former church member who was being ridiculed.

I didn’t expect that I would be the next person targeted for appearing disloyal to those who remained at the church. Someone took offense at my gesture, thinking I was trying to divide the remaining church members when my desire was to cultivate an atmosphere of grace, to leave open the possibility of reconciliation, and to walk out my own faith in love for all the people.

It wasn’t easy to be the object of people’s disdain, in this small town where the situation was well known, as was who took which side on the issues. It sure didn’t feel like joy experiencing this trial, though I believed what James said in his letter, that standing firm would produce perseverance.

My response to all of this was to do the next thing God put in front of me – my husband and I eventually left that church, which put us on the path to where we are today. It was a hard road, but we found grace and healing along the way. And, I feel incredibly blessed to be in a place now where grace is highly valued, and modeled by our church leadership.

What situations cause you to stand for truth and righteousness? Have you ever been ridiculed for taking a stand? How do today’s readings give you hope for standing firm in the future?

Spend time praising Jesus for the blessings he pours out on us in the face of trials and persecution.