“They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.”
– Psalm 35:12

Unfortunately, not everyone is going to treat you well! The psalmist writes of the injustices that can occur even in close relationships. Though he fasted and prayed for the well-being of others, they turned on him in his hour of need. They gossiped, lied, and undermined. It’s an unfortunate possibility in a fallen world and it hurts deeply.

However, this reality should never discourage us from doing good to others. It shouldn’t keep us from praying for those who have failed us, or who may yet do so. It shouldn’t keep us from loving and caring for others as our Savior modeled for us. He too was betrayed, slandered, and humiliated despite His deep love and care.

The psalmist finds his ultimate refuge in the Lord and that is where we too must look for comfort, peace, and identity. Though people may well fail us, the Lord is always with us. Though people may not appreciate our care for them, the Lord always honors our commitment to love our neighbor as ourselves.

If we do good things only to earn the appreciation or admiration of other people, we’ll grow weary, cynical, selfish, and exhausted. We’re called to do good things unconditionally, as a reflection of the incredible good already done for us by God through Jesus Christ. When our joy, sense of self-worth, and identity are rooted in Christ and His love for us, we’re able to love and serve sacrificially regardless of how those around us respond.

“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed'” – Luke 2:34

Make no mistake, Jesus wasn’t born to be a pleasant and universally popular guy, appreciated and approved by everyone from every background. He commands and empowers supernatural unity among His followers. However, it was clear from the beginning that He would be a source of deep division between those who believe and follow Him and those Who don’t. Jesus never shied away from this truth.

Jesus wasn’t a bland, generally likable, “wise teacher” or “moral example”. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life”. You can’t be “The Way” without profoundly dividing those who agree from those who don’t.

As followers of Jesus, we’re always called to be gentle, humble, loving, and kind. We aren’t to be creating division and strife (though we often sinfully are). However, Jesus Himself divides. If our faithful, Christlike life isn’t resulting in some division separating us from those who don’t know, understand, or believe in Jesus we probably need to evaluate just how closely we’re actually following Jesus! The work of Christ in our lives should separate us from those operating only in their own spirit and flesh.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11

As Easter draws near, it’s worth remembering the promise of Christmas. Jesus, the Christ, our Lord was born to be a Savior. His saving work was never meant to be accomplished by military means, through starting a revolution and setting up a mighty earthly empire. It was never meant to be accomplished by political means, reforming the government of Israel or Rome. There was only one way Jesus was going to save His people: through the cross.

Jesus entered this world because His people needed saving from something far worse than earthly oppressions. We needed saving from the vile power of sin and the crushing grip of death. To save us from those evils, Jesus, the eternal Son of God stepped into our world at Christmas, so He could be nailed to a cross on Good Friday and rise from the dead on Resurrection Sunday.

Our sin was nailed to the cross when our Savior was. He died in agony to pay the penalty for that sin, so that we won’t have to. His shed blood established a new covenant of grace in which His followers stand clean before God. He triumphantly rose from the dead so that all who believe in Him will likewise rise to glory. Even at Christmas, Easter was always in sight. A Savior was born that He could one day die and rise to life!

“Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.”
– Psalm 34:13-14

Following Jesus is not a passive activity! It’s hard work to walk in step with the Holy Spirit. The command to keep your tongue from evil is a good reminder that it *wants* to go there! In our fallenness, we like saying evil things. We like trafficking in gossip and slander. We love sharing conspiracy theories and lies. We love attacking people rather than their ideas. That’s why Scripture repeatedly commands us to restrain our tongues, like we restrain a dangerous animal straining to attack all in its path.

We must intentionally turn away from evil every day (and often multiple times each day). We must choose to actively and intentionally do good to others. We must not simply sit around waiting for peace to break out. As Christians, we’re commanded to create peace! We don’t exist to agitate and aggravate, we exist to make godly peace. We must actively pursue it despite terrible risks to ourselves.

Are walking in integrity and pursuing peace hard work? Absolutely! Will they be appreciated by those around us? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Will some hate us, question us, doubt us, or slander us for speaking truth, rejecting evil, and pursuing peace? Absolutely! Will some of those people call themselves Christians and question our faith? Sadly so.

Don’t let any of that keep you from denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Jesus every day! Live to please One, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Faithfully do what this Scripture says and He will be pleased, regardless of how anyone else feels.

“Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
– Psalm 34:5

As followers of Jesus, we are invited and commanded to truly look to God. For our identity. For authority over our life. For direction. For strength. For hope. For purpose. For approval. For transformation. We are to look nowhere else for those things. When we look to God, we’ll never be disappointed. We won’t be ashamed, no matter how things are going all around us. The world and its circumstances, good or bad, will no longer define us, though it will certainly try.

When we truly look to God, we’ll reflect His glory. We’ll be grounded in His presence within us. We’ll be defined as His much-loved children. We’ll be blessed by His Spirit. We’ll be motivated by His glory. There’s no shame in these things. Ever. No matter what the world throws at us – poverty, persecution, pain – we will not be ashamed.

The Apostle Paul wrote often of how he wasn’t ashamed, despite his external circumstances (including prison and looming execution) because of the Gospel, because of Christ in Him, because of the work of God in the world. We’re called and empowered to live and feel the same way.

Christian, look to God. Not as your ATM, not as your Santa Claus, but as your EVERYTHING. Then you’ll reflect Him and never be ashamed!