Popularity and Discipleship: A Hard Truth Learned From the Lord
Popularity and Discipleship: A Hard Truth Learned From the Lord In 2019, my family and I were living what seemed like a dream. We were missionaries in beautiful Puerto Rico, surrounded by swaying palm trees and warm breezes. Yet, even amidst this idyllic scene, a quiet unease was stirring – the early whispers of what would become the COVID-19 pandemic. That year became a time of deep soul-searching and a profound encounter with God. One afternoon, sitting at my desk, the tropical beauty outside my window couldn't distract me from the passage I was reading: John 15:18-19. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." Then, a question pierced through the serenity: "John, do people hate you?" My immediate, almost arrogant, response was, "No, I think I'm pretty lika...