Psalm 119:49-56 Second Read

The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Thy law. -Psalm 119:51

It is one thing to be able to stay consistent to God’s word while in the middle of all your Christian friends. It’s another thing to stay consistent when everyone around you is not a Christian and they are poking at you for what you believe. The real question is do they even notice that you’re different or do you blend right in? We don’t need to be confrontational for the sake of be confrontational all the time... but a Christian who is walking in the Spirit will be different by his very presence. It should be apparent to those around you, if you are a believer, that you follow a different path than everyone else. Your family should really notice there is a difference because they know you best, they should see Christ in your behavior and attitude...

If you are persecuted for being a Christian, or made fun of... they shouldn’t be persecuting you, they should be persecuting Him. “And this is the judgement that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light...” -John 3:19-20a
He is the Light in us... they see Him in us and run. They either run to Him or away from Him because He exposes them for who they are. It’s imperative that we stay consistent... and “not turn aside from His law”.

Here is what is so important; we are not to “pick the side we are on and not bend or defect to the other side”. We are to spend so much time with the Lord and His word that it would utterly hurt to turn from Him, to deny Him after all He has done for us would break our heart. I don’t turn from Him because I love Him so much. I don’t cheat on my wife because I love her so much, not because it’s just what I’m not supposed to do. This is what Jesus said was the greatest commandment, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength...’ If you truly love Him you won’t be able to turn away from Him. He and His word are all you have. (“This has become mine, That I observe Thy precepts” - Psalm 119:56) Others will notice this...and so they should.

-scott