While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. — John 17:12-14

Jesus does what many spiritual leaders fail to do. He tells his men the whole truth. He knows that following God will have earthly consequences for these disciples. Living a life directed by God's Word and His Will will put everyone in opposition to the world's ways and will. He knows that with ever-increasing hostility, the world will come after them as it has come after him. That this hostility is not something they have to produce. It will be directed against them. And just like Jesus, all men who live in the name will encounter growing hostility to the point a proclaiming believer might sell them out.

If this is the case, are you enduring growing hostility? Is your walk in the Word and Will of God growing so evident that the lines between right and wrong are becoming less blurred? If not, then try this. Identify one spiritual compromise you have been making and then stop compromising that behavior because you are afraid of some worldly loss. And then be a man of God and not a man of the world. Godly men, like Jesus, do not fear a little worldly hostility. They fear a holy God who will eventually end all worldly hostility.

ASK THIS:

1. Have you experienced any form of hostility or opposition in your journey of faith? How have you responded to it, and how has it impacted your commitment to following God's Word and His Will?
2. Are there areas in your life where you've been tempted to compromise your Christian values or convictions due to fear of worldly loss or opposition? Take a moment to reflect on one specific compromise and consider how you can take a stand for God's truth in that area, even in the face of potential hostility.

DO THIS: Identify a compromise and stop it.

PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the strength and unwavering faith to stand firm in Your Word, even when faced with hostility from the world, just as Jesus did. May I find joy and fulfillment in living according to Your will, knowing that Your love and guidance are worth any earthly challenges I may encounter.

PLAY THIS: No Compromise.