Well-pleased with insults
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
I like to enter into discussions on various topics—including cultural issues—on Facebook, and use it as an opportunity to share a biblical perspective.
This evening I received a comment from someone I didn’t know (and they probably lived in another state) on a comment that I had written on a friend’s post about the state of our culture. And if you know me, you know I shared my biblically-based perspective.
A friend of that person didn’t care for what I had written and blasted not only the comment, but also my intelligence, what he perceived as my religious naïveté, and my ignorance of the evil history of oppressive US law. But, as you’ve probably guessed, at the root of it was this: An anger with Christianity…an anger at faith in Jesus Christ.
I thanked him for his response. That’s all. And I was thinking how I had hit a nerve in this man…and I was reminded of Paul’s statement “I am well-pleased with insults…” In fact, I was challenged by Paul’s words.
My prayer (in addition to interceding for this man’s salvation—that’s a given!) was this: 1. Lord, let me NEVER back down for fear of insults. 2. Let me know, when engaging one on one—especially on Facebook with folks I don’t know—if I am merely throwing pearls before swine. That’s not something I want to play with.
Sometimes, only God knows the difference between “swine” and otherwise. But the good news is this: Swiney behavior may merely be a cover up for a fearful human who’s been hurt and is waving a red flag for someone to please pray for them. So pray. And then let God deal with them.