"I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You [are] My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give [You] The nations [for] Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth [for] Your possession. Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Blessed [are] all those who put their trust in Him. 
(The Verses Below are taken from 1st Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath.)
VS. 28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle."
VS. 33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you [are] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same" That's a line from a song by the Fray, I thought I would add it because when we choose to stand for what is right, it is usually harder than going with the flow, isn't it? When David decided to stand up against the blaspheming Goliath you would think all would rally around him, and be so proud he made a brave choice, Instead he faces more "giants". So even when we are on the right track and making right choices conquering giants left and right, we face more "giants" in our own tents.
When Satan sees us moving for the glory of God, he does all he can to pull the rug out from under our feet. For me the greatest sucker punch comes from when he uses our closest of kin, maybe a brother or sister like David's oldest brother Eliab, or a highly respected peer like King Saul.
That hurts doesn't it? When even our family says "You can't", "You're wrong/ignorant", or even "You're too much of a Jesus freak". I know I have failed many battles because I couldn't/wouldn't even leave the camp. There is no easy way to get around this obstacle, this is the most defining moment as a Christian, can we show God's love to someone persecuting us, while still following God's will?
YES!!! But only if our every strength comes from God. We need to accept opinions or even criticism without lashing back in vengeance, but we need to still press on to what God is telling us to do. This is where I fail, I am not good at getting served up some good ol' criticism...I lash right back with self-righteousness, and "I'm more holy than you, nah nah nah!". It's hard, being a Christian isn't cookie cutter perfect, or easy, but showing love where it is not deserved is what defines a Christian from any other religion, that is what God did for us!
What we need to remember is that God's is the only opinion we need to worry about, and that our worth in God is just as great as we treat others. And when God stirs in us to do something, I think we all have learned, you had better do it! Jump the hurdle and continue running towards the goal God has given, don't let others around you steal your passion or your purpose.
It is healthy to get a God-fearing opinion from a spiritual leader, but be weary as our greatest spiritual leader should always, and will always be God Himself!
My Prayer: Jehovah-nissi, The Lord my Banner! God I pray we would only boast in You! That when we're in battle we would lift You high, and When we're in the camp, we would raise You up, so that others would know and see Your glory! God I pray we would always look to You, and not dwell on the harmful words of man, that we would see others as You see them, and show them compassion when needed. God I pray we would never turn to the right or to the left, but always march on to the purpose you have given us! Nothing is too big for You God! Whatever You call us to, You will see us through if we abide. God help us to stand firm in our calling! To love as You do! God we pray that in every day, in anything we do, that it would bring glory to Your name! That no matter what the circumstance might be, that You would receive praise from my response to that circumstance. God Our heart is toward the lost, who do not know Your love, help us to share it in the greatest way possible, by practicing it! You are soooooooooo patient with me Lord, and I thank You for helping pin point the areas where I have not given myself fully to You! Thank You for Your servant David and all that we are able to learn from him. You alone are God who sets up kings and nations and also who tears them down, who gives life and who takes it away, help us to follow Your command, we place our hearts in Your hands! It is only because of Jesus that I am able to make known my request to You and it is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen!
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