Not the Patterns of the WorldEsimerkki

# Dealing With Ridicule The values and priorities of the world are different from God’s. His instructions are often mysterious and don’t fit into earthly logic. We need to see the world around us through His eyes and through ‘eyes of faith’ for the successful resolution of problems that appear beyond redemption. When we are tuned to God’s soft voice, He will tell us clearly to go to the left or to the right. We will be ridiculed when these moves contradict worldly value systems, but we should take heart. Our Commanding Officer can be trusted to be right always. When our hospital was reopened after 10 years, there were neither funds nor help from anyone. There was no running water or electricity, only rebellious old employees and a lot of serious problems. Our board members suggested we start private wards and charge more from rich patients to gain financial stability quickly. However, we felt that the hospital had to be for the poor. We were laughed at as we presented the same poor status at board meetings year after year. We are doing quite well now, but first had to go through years of ridicule. God told Noah to build an ark with specific dimensions using a particular type of wood for a flood that would come many years later (Genesis 6). He obeyed and started work on the massive boat. He needed teams of loggers and carpenters to work with meticulous attention to detail. All this had to be done amid the ridicule of everyone. People must have made fun of him for many years and may have called him mad or a criminal for wasting the family’s resources on a foolish enterprise. However, Noah’s ability to withstand ridicule saved his family and also won him a place in Hebrews 11 – the Hall of Faith chapter. God’s instructions must be obeyed without question. His directions for us in personal, family, and institutional matters are often likely to contradict the world’s logic, and we need to become adept at overcoming ridicule if we want God’s purposes for us to become a reality. #### Lord, when I face ridicule at home or in the workplace for obeying You, help me to overcome them in Your strength. Amen