“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matthew 10:28
Jesus is very direct with His followers in this verse. Don’t fear people. Fear God. Jesus clearly explains that to follow Him will result in some controversy and pressure in your life. For some it will be terrible while for others it will be minor. Nonetheless, we should all expect to encounter some. There may be pressure to keep quiet about your faith within your family, your classroom, your workplace, or your social circle. Jesus makes it abundantly clear in Matthew 10 that following Him could cost you friends, family, opportunity, freedom, or life.
All of which means you will have times in your life when you can either keep quiet about Jesus (and gain some earthly benefit) or speak up about Him. For most of us, our natural inclination will be to go for the temporary, visible, earthly benefit and just keep quiet. However, Jesus warns us not to make that decision! Don’t be motivated by fear of those who can impact your earthly life relationally, socially, educationally, professionally, or physically. Though your fear is real and the risk may be very present, don’t give in!
Develop such a high view of God that your love, respect, and awe for Him will never permit you to compromise your Great Commission disciple-making mission in life. Recognize that His rewards are eternal and trading the eternal benefits of following Jesus for the temporary benefits of a fallen world is a terrible deal. Grow in your knowledge of God. Grow in your awareness of God. Grow in your respect for God. Grow in your awe of God. Grow in your submission to God. Grow in your relationship with God. Grow in your holy fear of God and discover how much your fear of other people shrivels up! #FollowJesus