Living Like JesusSample

Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. In a world where opinions can go viral minutes after they’re posted, and social media debates go from zero to 100 in a hot second—it’s wise to remember to be like Jesus both online and offline. Jesus wasn’t afraid to call out sin, but He did it in the context of grace and relationship. So, posting about problems is probably not going to lead to resolution. But standing up for someone who can’t stand up for themselves? That’s close to the heart of Jesus. In John chapter eight, we see a story of a woman caught in the act of adultery. The crowd wanted to stone her for it—and the law said they could. They asked Jesus what He would do—trying to trap Him into saying something He’d regret. Jesus didn’t take the bait. Instead, He asked whoever had never sinned to go ahead and cast the first stone. He started writing in the sand, and some people believe that He was actually writing the sins of the people around Him. The people scattered, leaving only Jesus. Jesus gave the woman grace by letting her go, but He gave her truth by telling her to not sin anymore. We should strive to model that for the people in our lives. We should start relationships by extending grace—reminding people that their mistakes can be redeemed. And then we help people realize that there’s a better way to live—through following Jesus. So stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. Stand up for the people the world rejects. Stand up for the overlooked and the outcasts. And don’t just stand up—get ready to serve. In Matthew 25, we see Jesus talking about two groups of people—sheep and goats. Hang with us. The sheep are those who served the least of these—offering support to the poor, water to the thirsty, care for the sick, etc. The goats? They ignored people who were in need. Read today’s passage to learn how that ended. Spoiler alert: serving matters a great deal to God. And it doesn’t matter if we say we love God if we don’t love His people by serving them well. So, who will you stand up for? Who will you serve? Because when you do that—Jesus says you’re actually doing it for Him. Pray: God, show me who to stand up for and how to stand up for them. Help me right wrongs. Help me accept the people others reject. Help me serve like You serve, love like You love, and stand up like You stand up. Break my heart for what breaks Yours, and give me new eyes to see others the way You do. In Jesus’ name, amen.