Paul has been warning Timothy about the growing godlessness in the last days. As I said yesterday, this does not imply the failure of the church, but it will accompany its success The brighter the light, the darker the shadows. So, Paul now warns Timothy of the opposition he will attract by shining bright with the light of God. We need not live in fear of this. On the contrary, such opposition is often proof that we are walking in God’s path. And the path of God is the safest place to live, whatever trouble we may face as a result. We should not, however, think that all persecution is an infallible sign that we are doing the right thing. Many Christians are persecuted because of the offensiveness of their approach rather than the offensiveness of the message. They are despised by people because of their lack of love rather than the confronting nature of their life. There are many ways to offend people and most of them are unnecessary and unloving. But if you shine brightly in the world, you will incite the irrational resistance of people who are trying to resist being confronted with the truth. “In fact,” says Paul, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Wow! If we are not inciting resistance, perhaps we are not being bold and bright enough.
Do you need to shine a little brighter, and be bolder and more intentional in your witness to Jesus?
Read 2 Timothy 3:10-17
