Dare To Be Different
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23
Some years ago it was my privilege to speak in the beautiful gothic chapel at West Point. The chapel was filled, and those young people listened earnestly to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As I looked out upon those determined, dedicated young faces, who are the cream of American youth, I could not help but think of Jesus’ disciples—He made it tough, hard, and rugged to follow Him. He talked about self-denial, cross-bearing, persecution, and even death. He said, “If you are not willing to endure these things, then you are not worthy to be My follower.”
While our nation is involved with an increase of crime, immorality, adultery, drunkenness, irreverence, infidelity, and open apostasy, millions of professing Christians have forgotten the Word of Scripture that says, “If any man would follow me, let him take up his cross daily.”
Our Lord regarded His followers as a select company who belonged to a different world from other men. Many of the religious people of His day were worldlings, dressed in religious garb that belonged to this world—a world ruled by the prince of darkness, a world dominated by pride, ambition, hate, jealousy, greed, and falsehood. He warned the disciples to be loyal to His teachings and principles. He told them that they were to set their affection on things above.
He also warned them that they would find things exceedingly difficult. Refusing to conform to worldly principles and practices, and living under the lordship of Christ, they would soon become marked men. He told them that the world would hate them.
They could not make their light shine by sinking to the world’s low level. It was only by abiding in Christ and living under the ruling power of His Holy Spirit that they could elevate the world. The power and progress of the Christian society would depend on its unlikeness to the world and its likeness to Jesus Christ. It was this very reason that the distinction between the lives of those who lived for this world and those who lived for Christ was so clear that a very deep impression was made on the pagan society of the first century in which the early Christians lived. They influenced thousands to embrace the Christian faith because they outthought, outlived, and outloved their neighbors. We Christians should dare to be different!
Our Father and our God, bless me with the ability to live a distinct lifestyle in my world. Help me to stand out as morally chaste, truthful, honest, fair, compassionate, and caring. And if I must face ridicule for being like Jesus, then so be it. I would rather suffer with Him, than live without Him. In His name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).