You Will Be Hated

“You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” Luke 21:17 

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. The world will hate the disciple because it hated the Master. To follow Jesus means to share His reproach and His cross. The disciple is not above his teacher; if they persecuted Him, they will persecute us also.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

Why don’t more Christians share the gospel? We don’t want to be hated or rejected. No one does. But if someone is on a sinking ship and you know where the rescue boat is, how much do you have to hate them to stay silent? Jesus is the answer to this world’s sinking ship.

Penn Jillette, an atheist, once asked why Christians don’t share their faith if they truly believe it’s true. How much do you have to hate someone to let them go to hell without telling them about Jesus?

The gospel is the answer to every problem. Jesus saved me. We must share that good news—with our neighbors and with the unreached. Last week a friend told me a story how he shared the gospel in Mongolia with someone who’d never heard it in 40+ years. She was overwhelmed with gratitude and asked why no one had ever told her. That’s a heartbreaking question.

In a couple weeks, I’m taking my girls to Iraq to bring the good news to people who’ve never heard. I’ve been chased out of villages before for sharing—it’s not fun, but it’s worth it. The greatest act of love is telling someone about Jesus.

They may hate us for it. Jesus said they would. But some will respond and be eternally grateful.

Today, share your faith with someone. It’s the most loving thing you can do.

Have a great day making Jesus known!