“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” (Matthew 5:11)
As part of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells people that they are to be happy when they are scorned for their beliefs in Jesus as the Messiah, for they are doing what is right and good by declaring the good news of Jesus Christ. Do you tend to keep quiet when others talk about religion?
Do you hold back your thoughts when people make negative comments about church or those who attend? Sometimes others say negative things because they don’t know what to believe. Perhaps they have heard about some of the scandals in some churches. Sometimes they are afraid to even ask a question for fear others will condemn their curiosity.
Feel free to say that you are a Christian. Be happy that you are blessed to be loved by your savior. If others don’t feel the same way, that’s okay. It’s not up to you to engage in an argument about the merits of your beliefs. Pray, instead, that those who hear you say what you believe, without condemning the beliefs of others, may see that a God who allows peace amidst disagreement might be worth learning about.
–Pastor Woody