POPULARITY

by Kevin Rutherford

Do you want to be popular? Some people become popular because of their immoral actions. Other people become popular because they are willing to tell people what people want to hear. Those individuals who behave in a moral fashion and who tell the truth are not always going to be very popular. Actually, doing and saying what is right will often put a person in a hated minority: the minority that is going to heaven (Matthew 7:13, 14).

Jesus did what was right and said what was right and it got Him killed (Matthew 27:35). Jesus said the world would hate those who followed Him because the world hated Him first (John 15:18). John told us not to be surprised if the world Hates us (1 John 3:13). Being hated is not being popular. Hatred is often directed toward those who say and do what is right.

The apostle Paul was concerned that the church at Galatia had counted him as their enemy because he told them the truth (Galatians 4:16). When Stephen taught the truth he was hated and killed (Acts 7).

Doing what is right and saying what is right probably won’t make you popular. However, it will help you to go to heaven. Behaving immorally and telling people what they want to hear may bring swiftly fleeting popularity but it will also send you to hell. How popular do you want to be?