Being Right With God

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
1 Peter 3:17

To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men.  – A.W. Tozer

Sometimes trusting God and doing what you believe to be right is the loneliest place in the world, even in Christian circles.  It is a difficult place to be in when you know what you should do, but it upsets the people closest to you, even when it is the right, God-honoring thing to do. It is confusing at times because we expect others to want the right thing too.  But that is not always the case.  There are times our faithfulness can bring us promotion in the world but there are also times when it can make things very difficult for us. It is better to be lonely doing the right thing than to be in a roomful of people, knowing that you have compromised your own personal principles and crossed a line.

God’s words are not negotiable.  Christians should be the last ones to give other Christians a hard time about standing up and doing the right thing, but alas, we are human through and through.  There is no worse feeling in the world than when you can’t turn to the people you need to turn to for guidance and help.  You may have alienated them by making the decision that would honor God and now you have no one to turn to.  You may feel isolated and alone, having made a right decision but feeling like a horrible person. Then and only then will you realize true dependence on God.  When you have no one else, you always have your Heavenly Father, and during this time, it is Him that you need the most. 

This past Sunday in the sermon, Brother Van said that if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will not win the popularity contest and this is true. The relationships you have here on earth are only temporary but the relationship you have with your heavenly father is a forever one.  He is the one that holds your eternity in His hands.  He gave His one and only son for you. He is the one that is the lover of your soul and it is to Him we should look to and live to please.  It seems like making the right choices should not bring about such uncomfortableness in our lives.  We should be rewarded and protected for making choices that honor God, but Jesus warned us that we would be suffer sometimes for choosing Him. 
It was once said, if you have to choose between being liked and being respected, choose respect every time.  And not only respect, but the deep down satisfaction that you have made the right choice.  The bible says in 1 Peter 19-23: For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.  So we should expect hardship for doing wrong things but God takes notice when we do the right thing and suffer as a result. Jesus trusted God, who judges fairly.  He is the one who will judge all of us in the end. 

Scripture to Claim:

Our Purpose is to please God, not people.  He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 
1 Thessalonians 2:4