He Too Was Despised
January 9, 2023 by Anne Johnson
Filed under Daily Devotions
By Anne C. Johnson –
Through tears, my girlfriend shared her pain about her eldest son who was being labeled at school as being gay. “I’m glad he is following God’s calling to be a light, but this is too much,” she sobbed.
Having been home-schooled since kindergarten, it was a shock when her oldest son came to his parents with the request of attending public school for high school. He felt God calling him to step out of his comfort zone and share the light of God’s love with others.
Secretly I had my reservations. This young man has such a soft heart for the Lord, and a wisdom about him that can only come from a genuine faith and relationship with God and His Word.
As a home-school parent, I wanted to scream, “Don’t send him into that dark place, they will ruin him.”
But, it wasn’t my decision. And as a friend I felt the need to be supportive. I wrapped my arms around her as we knelt at the altar, secretly begging God to change His mind and calling on this young man’s heart.
One week later at the altar again, my friend shared with me, “They are calling him gay. All the kids are ganging up on him because he doesn’t do the ‘dating thing’ and isn’t girl-crazy.”
She questioned her decision of letting him go to public school. I knew she wanted to do everything in her power to help him and make this horrible situation go away. To erase his pain and soothe his troubled heart.
I found myself asking God, “Why this persecution? Why this torment?”
The answer came strong and clear. “This young man belongs to Me, and he is taking a stand in My name.”
Scripture says that Jesus was often called demon possessed or accused of witchcraft (John 8:48). In Jesus’ day this was the worst thing to be called. Today, the taboo word is gay.
In my daily devotional reading of A.J. Russell’s, God Calling, I came across the most fitting statement for my friend and her son’s current struggle, “Life with God is not immunity from problems, but peace in the problem.”
God’s word said we would be hated and despised. (John 15:20) Though it doesn’t always erase the pain we feel when the world seems turned against us, we know that God is for us, and that Jesus completely understands our hurts and pain. Running to Him during these moments is the Band-aid our spirit needs.
I pray through this lesson my friend and her son, as well as myself, will be strengthened by the knowledge that we are as much of a threat to the darkness around us as our Lord and Savior was during His sojourn on this earth. I pray God will give us all the strength and the patience to continue to love and the endurance to shine His love and light into this hurting and darkened world.