The Cost of Courage

Bible Reading: Isaiah 50:6-8; Matthew 9:10-13

“Great job in the game, Hailey!” said Mom. Hailey shrugged and sat down next to her on the sidelines. “What’s wrong?” Mom asked. “Is something bothering you?”

Hailey’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s Kaylee and Jenna. They said they can’t be my friends anymore.”

“Why?” asked Mom. “I thought they were your best friends on the team!”

“I did too. But at halftime, they were making fun of Sarah.”

“That small, quiet girl?”

“Yeah. They told her she was ruining the game, and that she ought to go play with those little kids.” Hailey pointed to another field, where some four-year-olds were chasing a ball around.

“Oh, that’s terrible!” said Mom.

“They kept looking at me, like they expected me to make fun of her too. I said they were being mean, so they called me a boring goody-goody and said they can’t be friends with someone who’s no fun. I just said, ‘Fine,’ and walked away. I didn’t know what to do.”

Mom hugged Hailey. “I’m proud of you for not joining Kaylee and Jenna. It’s hard to stand out from the crowd.”

Hailey shrugged. “I thought I was doing what Jesus would want. Why did He let it turn out so badly?”

Mom squeezed Hailey’s shoulder. “God never promised that doing the right thing would be easy. The Bible is full of people who were rejected by others when they followed God’s commands. Even Jesus was rejected for showing love to people everyone else wanted to stay away from. As Christians, that’s what we’re called to do too.”

“But now I don’t have any friends on the team! Doesn’t He care?”

“Of course He cares,” said Mom. “Your courage may have cost you your friendship with Kaylee and Jenna, but it might have made you a new friend.” Mom pointed toward the field, where Sarah was waving at them, a shy smile on her face.

Hailey wiped her eyes. “Thanks, Mom. Doing the right thing was hard, but I know it’s what God wanted. I know He’ll watch out for me!” She got up and started walking toward Sarah. – Jennifer Dillard

How About You?

Have you ever been rejected for following Jesus’ example? It can be hard to follow the path of Jesus when our friends ask us to stray. Throughout history, God’s people have faced hardship and rejection for doing what is right. When friends tempt you to go against what Jesus says, pray that God will give you courage to follow Him.

Today’s Key Verse:
Isaiah 51:7 (NLT) Listen to Me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults.

Today’s Key Thought:

Follow Jesus, not people