When we are insulted for our faith. When righteous living brings contempt from others. When living a life of Truth makes some others fight against you…what are you to do?
I say it’s as easy as 1,2,3…or Psalm 123, that is.
I lift up my eyes to You to You Whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant. Psalm 123
No matter what we are facing, our first response should be to lift our eyes to Jesus. Lift our eyes to heaven so we can see rightly. Rising above the clouds of accusation, ridicule, and assault and looking at the events from a heavenly perspective.
True love and compassion for the lost can only come from finding a heavenly perspective.
Seeing into the hearts of those who are enraged against us simply because we choose Jesus, can only happen when our eyes are fixed upon Him.
I’ve been angry for quite some time. Angry with the mob. Those shoving their agenda and worldly agenda upon us. Angry with the church. Those hiding behind stage lights and fog, basking in applause as we watch our children being pursued by ravenous wolves from hell. Yes, I’ve been angry.
As I have felt that anger continue on a slow boil for a long while, I kept praying. I don’t want to be angry. But it’s difficult not to be when injustice, incompetence, and inaction is all around. Still, I kept bringing that anger to God.
God, I’m angry. I would say all the time.
Finally, one day, I saw. I am not sure why it took so long or why this struggle was particularly harder than others, but I finally saw.
As if my eyes had been fixed with new lenses from heaven, I began to see hearts. Lost souls. And a balance between righteous anger toward sin and a Father’s heart that desires that none be lost. Oh, it can be hard and convicting to see from God’s eyes.
I’m going to be really honest for a minute.
It’s very difficult for me to imagine that God loves some of the current villains in our world. Very difficult. But how hypocritical can I be?! Of course He loves them. Of course, He wants to know them and for them to know Him. Of course, He desires that they be saved. Of course, Jesus died on the cross for them.
It’s so simple. Yet feels so complicated… And there’s the crux of this whole thing…
We cannot navigate life with our feelings. We must know and respond to what is true.
365 Days in the Presence 