Living with Unpopularity

One thing's for sure -- when you become serious about following Jesus Christ and stand on His word each day, you'll find out soon that certain people will not like you.

I remember being a new believer back in the mid-70's while working at the Hungry Hunter, a steak restaurant in my hometown of Ventura, California. When I tried to speak about Christ, some of my fellow waiters scoffed at my beliefs. One challenged me about the creation story, trying to convince me of the "truth" of evolution. Feeling like an outsider because of my new birth in Christ bothered me somewhat. I liked being liked. And yet I was finding out pretty quickly that those who have not yet crossed over from spiritual death into life won't be so crazy about those who claim Jesus as Lord.

Reading Acts lately has confirmed to me that some people will hate you because of the Name of Jesus, as our Lord predicted. Some of the Jews who heard the gospel joyfully came to faith in Jesus. But many of the religious leaders were enraged at these followers of Christ and began persecuting them as they did so to the Lord.

Last night I was reading a book that my friend, Kathy, loaned to me. It's called The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian. It is an alarming book, describing how evil forces in our society are swaying our country to believe lies. Kupelian quoted from an old book by Francis Schaeffer that especially grabbed me right before going to bed:

Most of the evangelical world has not been active in the battle or even been able to see that we are in a battle. And when it comes to the issues of the day the evangelical world most often has said nothing; or worse has said nothing different from what the world would say. Here is the great evangelical disaster -- the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this -- namely accomodation: the evangelical church has accommodated to the world spirit of the age. (The Great Evangelical Disaster, 1984)

That word -- "accomodation" -- jumped off the page and into my mind. That is such a huge temptation for us, especially if we want to be popular -- to be liked by everyone. And yet Scripture is so clear that as believers in Jesus we are not going to feel at home in this world. We'll be called intolerant and close-minded if believe in such "old fashion" things like marriage and is designed by God exclusively for a man and a woman, and that sex is a wonderful gift to be celebrated only within the bounds of marriage.

I think we need to just get used to it -- if we really take Jesus at His word and share our convictions with others, we'll be unpopular among some folks. Even among some people who claim to be followers of Christ.

I know how hard this is to not be accomodating to the world's point of views. People pleasing has been a snare that I've continually battled. But I want to be a God pleaser, not a man pleaser. And if others don't like me because of my Christian convictions, so be it. I can live with unpopularity -- especially when I realize in the depths of my soul that I'm deeply loved and pleasing to God, all because of what Christ has done for me on the cross.

Jim