Daily Hope with Rick Warren 8th September 2024, Sunday Devotional Message
You Can Worry or You Can Worship
By Rick Warren
“If you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” 1 Peter 3:14-15 (NLT)
Christianity is not for weaklings, wimps, or the faint of heart. It takes courageous men and women to follow Jesus.
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Believers around the world are suffering in terrible ways that most of us will never know. But what is it costing you to follow Christ? It’s unlikely you’ll ever have to deal with violent oppression. But you deal with silent repression every single day as culture becomes more and more secularized and anti-Christian.
When you are faced with opposition because of your faith, it’s natural to feel afraid. So how do you get rid of the fear of opposition? How do you get rid of the fear of disapproval? How do you get rid of the fear of being rejected?
You need to be filled with God’s love. The Bible says there’s no fear in love and perfect love casts out all fear. When you face opposition, you need to focus on God’s love for you. People who rest in the assurance of God’s love aren’t afraid of rejection. They aren’t afraid of disapproval.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:14-15, “If you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (NLT).
You have two choices when you feel pressured to be quiet about your faith in Christ: You can worry, or you can worship. That means you either panic or you pray. You either focus on the problem and the pressure and the persecution or you focus on God.
You want to turn your attention away from the pressure you feel and turn it toward God. You have to change your focus! That’s what worship is—focusing on God. When you face opposition, turn your attention to your loving heavenly Father. Choose worship instead of worry.
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