Commended

In the Face of Danger

After the Columbine massacre several years ago in Littleton, Colorado a story arose of a teenage girl, Cassie Bernall, who was killed in the massacre. Witnesses claim Cassie was faced with the tragic decision of honesty in the face of death. One of the shooters, while pointing a gun at Cassie, asked her if she believed in God. Witnesses reported that Cassie answered, 'Yes' in the face of certain death.

Honesty is easy when no one is attempting to harm you. Honesty is difficult when it is partnered with the threat of harm.

Pressure Treated

The same can be said of all godly values. We do not see our commitment to God's ways until we are tested by the pressure of persecution or harm. Most of us never face that type of pressure. Sure, we face uncertainty of friendship and popularity due to our beliefs, however we also know our church families are always there to receive us.

So why do we esteem godly values in this life? Is it because they truly honor the Lord? Or do we esteem values simply because they help us navigate this life? To put it another way, do we esteem values for eternal purposes or worldly purposes?

I fear many who call themselves Christians affirm godly values for wrong reasons. We see this truth play out during times of cultural pressure like today. We are starting to see cultural values lean on Christian values more and more. We also see Christians changing their stances on societal issues in ways that fit in to the culture. This trend reveals what I mentioned before.

Many Christians affirm godly values for worldly purposes.

Personal Assessment

But what about you? Do you value God's ways? And if you value God's ways, why do you value them? You need to know this. How else will you be prepared to face real persecution if it comes? 

May you say like the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:2, 

'We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.'