Being ashamed of the gospel...
Illustration
Being ashamed of the gospel is a very subtle thing. It creeps into the lives of sturdy believers, like Peter, like you and me, without our even knowing it has happened.
A young woman became deeply concerned over the treatment given to others of her sex in the office where she worked. They were being harassed and treated unfairly. Distressed, the woman first took her concern to a small group in her church. She was going to talk directly to her boss about the situation. She asked her friends if they would please pray for her so that she might find the right words to say. Instead, they unanimously counseled her not to rock the boat. She had a point, they said, but she must be patient. She might find herself in trouble if she tried to "push."
After one more incident at the office, she went ahead on her own, first to her boss, then to the district supervisor. For this she was labeled a "troublemaker" and had to endure all the difficulties such a label can bring. But one day she received a compliment which meant more to her than almost anything she had ever heard. "Thanks, Shirley," said an older woman in the office. "You've loved us to the point of getting hurt yourself." The older woman squeezed her hand.
And who in this little incident followed the gospel without shame, the group who said "Don't rock the boat," or the one who suffered?
A young woman became deeply concerned over the treatment given to others of her sex in the office where she worked. They were being harassed and treated unfairly. Distressed, the woman first took her concern to a small group in her church. She was going to talk directly to her boss about the situation. She asked her friends if they would please pray for her so that she might find the right words to say. Instead, they unanimously counseled her not to rock the boat. She had a point, they said, but she must be patient. She might find herself in trouble if she tried to "push."
After one more incident at the office, she went ahead on her own, first to her boss, then to the district supervisor. For this she was labeled a "troublemaker" and had to endure all the difficulties such a label can bring. But one day she received a compliment which meant more to her than almost anything she had ever heard. "Thanks, Shirley," said an older woman in the office. "You've loved us to the point of getting hurt yourself." The older woman squeezed her hand.
And who in this little incident followed the gospel without shame, the group who said "Don't rock the boat," or the one who suffered?
