Transformers!

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."  -- 2 Timothy1:7

People that are secure with themselves are often targets of those who are insecure and mercurial. If we are confident in our abilities and have convictions to stand firmly upon, there is a good chance we may suffer at the hands of those who have neither. This will especially prove true if they are if they are in a position of power over you, since power tends to reveal a person's true nature. Society may praise the need for individuality, but in reality, the more you conform to the changing whims and mores of the world, the better you are viewed.

Why does this happen? Why do people want so badly for you to acquiesce to the herd mentality? No one claims to be an expert in this particular realm of sociology, but some ideas can be ascertained by life experiences. When you carry yourself with certain esteem and live by biblical principles, you leave the persons you come into contact with only two real options. They can either choose to raise their own personal standards or they can choose to tear you down so you can become more like them.

Sadly, the vast majority will choose the latter. Why? That would be because changing and living up to biblical standards takes a certain amount of work; a special amount of effort that must be exerted to achieve the desired results. Very few people like to work and it's much easier to destroy rather than build. So they begin their deconstruction process on you, whether you know it or not. They pick on you and pick at you. They speak in puzzles to frustrate you. They try to make a spectacle of you. Basically, they do everything they can to bring you out of the character that God wants you to have.

However, as Christians we cannot afford to be naïve. Jesus Himself was harassed on several occasions by the Pharisees who desired to trap Him in His own speech. One of the most memorable times was when they questioned Him on whether or not the people should pay their taxes. This was an attempt to place Jesus in a bind and damage some of His credibility. Tax collectors in Bible times were extremely corrupt and naturally the commoners' relationship with them was adversarial. Yet, Jesus being who He was gave an answer that satisfied all parties involved and silenced the Pharisees. (Mark 12:13-17)

Christians follow Jesus Christ and should therefore imitate His ways. Jesus was not transformed out of his good character nor was he a doormat to the world. Instead, he gave an intelligent answer that was in tune with God and put His tormentors to shame. We must make efforts to do the same when we are confronted with the Pharisees that we encounter on occasion. We must remember that as long as we do and say things that are in tune with God, we have absolutely nothing to fear no matter what the consequences may be.

By no means am I saying this is easy. The Bible says itself that if you counsel a foolish person they will hate you (Proverbs 9:7-9); and most of your adversaries will indeed be fools. Personally, this is where I struggle. Yes, I would like to react in the powerful ways that Christ did, but the aftereffects of that kind of bold action are what I fear the most by immature and ruthless people with small minds and a lot to prove. This is where our faith comes in. If we are hurt because we stand on our convictions and stand up for ourselves, our God will not leave us in a quagmire. Time and time again, God promises His followers that he will never leave their side when they follow Him. (Romans 8:28) So be bold, have power, and let the renewing of your mind continue!