Day 310: John 7:1 - 8:24

Although some would initially associate Jesus with peace and happiness, we see in this passage that more often than not, Jesus was in the very center of what most would consider a controversy. Most immature Christians go throughout their lives trying not to step on anybody's toes or upset anybody because they have some sort of twisted, inaccurate "understanding" of how Jesus operates. But once we are able to set aside our preconceived ideas and truly study the Word, we can see that Jesus was not only involved in a great deal of conflict, but He was usually the very reason for the conflict. God did not send us out into the world to make sure that it always stays the same. He sent us out to change the world. God even refers to His Son in Isaiah 8:14 and again in 1 Peter 2:8 as a "Rock of Offense" reminding us that Jesus, and know we, were sent into the world to change it and save it whatever the cost. In all honestly, this entire point, as most in the Bible, can be boiled down to one word - Love. If you truly love someone, you should be willing to risk their own personal comfort in order to save their lives. It's time for the church to rise up and start caring more about this generation burning in hell than they are about how comfortable it is. When we cause controversy and offense as a direct result of our obedience to God's Word, we can take joy in the fact that we are doing our part to carry on the ministry that Jesus started here on earth.

- Father, give me the vision to be more concerned about the eternal state of those around me than I am about making them feel comfortable. I know that following You may cause some awkward situations to arise, but if those awkward situations are what is required in order to help same the souls of this generation, I will be more than happy to endure them. -