The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!”

—Matthew 10:24–25

Our human nature wants to believe that serving God will have us living our best life (in worldly terms) in the here and now.

But God’s plans don’t always—or even often—look like earthly success. Trusting him will often mean walking a lonely road off the beaten path . . . a road that the world may not appreciate or recognize as valuable. We can look at nearly any Bible character to find that theme. Joseph was sold into slavery by his family. Moses was in exile from Egypt, losing all his earthly connections and power. Most of the Old Testament prophets were unappreciated and even hated. John the Baptist was beheaded. Most of the disciples were martyred. Jesus was murdered. 

Jesus was perfect, and he still didn’t get his earthly due. They even said he was working with Satan. So if we feel like people aren’t paying attention or are even hostile toward what we’re doing when we’re following the Lord, we’re in good company, and we shouldn’t be surprised.

Others’ approval or disapproval cannot tell us if we’re walking in the Lord’s will. Our only aim should be obedience to him, and we shouldn’t be shocked when that obedience leads to unpopularity or persecution.

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