John 15:20

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

     We all want to be liked. We can think back to times when people rejected us in the past. Perhaps it was our personality or popularity. It could have even been the gospel that drove a wedge between us and someone we cared about. When we look back, that rejection hurts. We do not like how it made us feel and possibly even how it still makes us feel today. Remembering that feeling can be a hinderance to teaching the gospel.

     The word of God is divisive. There are no two ways about it. Jesus even said us much, saying it would divide families. The family bond should be one of the strongest. If something has the power to separate family, it easily has the ability to do the same with friends and acquaintences. We know that when we talk about the word of God, it will cause some people to reject us. This can be scary and sometimes even terrifying.

     Servants of God have to confront this fear. Sometimes people let this fear paralyze them. They lose their ability or desire to teach others about God’s great grace. This is sad, because first of all, we need to recognize that we have a personal relationship with God. No one likes their friends or family to hid them out of shame. God likewise does not appreciate it. Even worse is that we may lose an opportunity to show someone the path to the greatest gift ever know: eternal life and a relationship with their Creator.