Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Have you ever had someone lie about you? You sit back and watch as the lie just takes a life of its own. People say things that have no bearing on the truth, and when the lies spread, many just go with it and continue to repeat what they've heard. I’ve got some advice that is difficult to hear and carry out. Don’t worry about it. Deceit, lies, jealousy, and every other treacherous dishonest sin you can think of have been going on since Paul’s time and before.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not follow sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” People turn away from the truth quite easily. They follow people who say what they want to hear without regard for the truth. People do this with the truth about Jesus Christ, and they will absolutely do it about each of us.

In Acts 24, Paul defends himself again against people who are telling lies about him and want him dead. In verses 14-15 Paul says, “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God…”. The Way is what Christ's followers were called during this time. There were so many people angry at Paul as well as anyone who followed Jesus or taught about Him.

Isn’t it crazy that back then and even now the name of Jesus stirs up so much controversy? Why? The answer is simpler than you think. He is God. He is our Savior. We have two choices. Follow Him or turn from Him. The evil one wants to keep as many people as possible from following Him and spending eternity with God. So, people get angry and want to live a life for themselves and not for God. They want to persecute anyone who says something different.

Now back to my advice. Don’t worry about it. Jesus said “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothes.” Jesus knew we would encounter countless issues in this life. His answer was don’t worry about it. Trust Him, obey Him, and live a purpose-driven life devoted to His perfect will, and He will bring peace beyond understanding. I’ve personally experienced the peace He brings regardless of situations if you simply trust and obey.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Take the time to intentionally pray that God replaces your worry or anxiety with His peace. Ask Him to give you wisdom and His character to handle all situations in a way that shows you fully trust in Him and do not carry a weight He never intended for you to carry.