How to Rub People the Wrong Way

When Roma Downey and Mark Burnett announced they were filming a new series called A.D. The Bible Continues, I couldn’t wait for it to air. The first series, The Bible, was fantastic. It got a lot of criticism from viewers and Hollywood in general, but that did not deter the directors from encouraging people to watch and enjoy it.

I have always enjoyed a well executed project where artists use their own creativity in a retelling of the scriptures. It breathes new life into the stories and truth that I, and millions around the world, hold so close to our hearts. The A.D. series has proved to be another successful project from the director couple that has captivated audiences once again.

Peter and his ministry are the main focus in the series. His big heart and love for Jesus, his Rabbi, fills up the screen as we watch him grow and learn in his faith even after the Lord has ascended into Heaven. The disciples follow Peter and he leads them into dangerous situations because his trust in God and His plan is bigger than any danger they could face. In the short time after the crucifixion, Peter’s faith and the faith of several disciples is tested.

They ask each other “Where is Jesus?” “Why has God abandoned us?”

“Will He really rise again or did we believe and follow something that wasn’t true?”

I identify closely with Peter and his human character. Jesus specifically told him that he would be His rock, and that Peter would build His church. Yet, when Jesus is in the grave, His body waiting to be resurrected, Peter doubts the promise of Jesus when He said He would rise again from the dead. He forgets the moment his Master looked straight into his eyes and says “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

How many times in my life I have doubted the call God placed on my life? How many times I have failed to understand the weight of what He said to me, what he called me to do, and how I am to use the blessings He gave me? Yes, Peter and I are much alike.

As a woman with the spiritual gift of prophecy, living in a world of men is sometimes a difficult task. Many times I have been shushed, pushed away, or told to be more of a lady when in reality I was only speaking the truth. When I see someone doing something wrong, especially when it hurts the church or the world’s view of God, I want the action to be corrected. Not because I think there is glory in it for me, but because it grieves me and causes me physical, spiritual, and emotional pain to see someone disobeying the Lord when they could be enjoying His abundant blessings by living in obedience. My deepest and truest desire is for them to know and rest in the Truth of God’s word, trusting and abiding in it each day so that they can enter into pure fellowship with Him.

,p>Peter also wanted the truth to be known. He was not called by God to be a soft-spoken leader, but a man of integrity who lived his faith out loud, almost to the point of being obnoxious.

Peter is often the first to respond when Jesus questions his disciples. He is sure of himself and does not hesitate in being the first to expose his feelings and convictions.

“Peter said to Him ‘Lord I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death.'”

“Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”

Like Peter, prophets see issues in black and white. There is no gray for them. There have been many, many times when I wished God would remove this particular gift from my life because of the difficulty it brings. The heart of a prophet can also become weighed down with the sins of the world, grieving for those who do not understand the importance of following Christ and His word.

But as we can see with Peter, it also brings a great and glorious reward. A prophet has a deep and unchanging love for the word of God. He weighs everything against the truth of the Bible and rests in the fact that God has gifted him with the ability to discern truth in order to restore sinners to Himself.

The prophet John the Baptist prepared Israel for the coming of the Messiah by speaking the truth to anyone who would listen. And like the prophets before him, he was hated, despised, and ultimately killed for his loud mouth. Despite this, John fulfilled his calling. He did not fight it or try to avoid the voice of the Lord. He grew into a man who was zealous for the truth and he became the one who ushered in the ministry of Jesus, the Christ.

I have learned that this spiritual gift, for lack of a better term, rubs people the wrong way. It is not only non-Christians who do not like us, but even some Christians prefer not to have any dealings with people like myself who desire the truth to be heard, at any cost. We can appear prideful, self-righteous, and mean because of our outspokenness. But we are not easily swayed by the criticism of the world or the standards man tries to put on us. Our hearts are tied by the strongest of cords to the heart of God, a cord that is an unbreakable bond.

We desire honesty to be seen in every area of our lives and in the lives of those around us, therefore, guilt or a lie can bring us to our knees. We long for purity and the sweet fellowship with God that comes from being laid bare before Him. That is why Peter wept bitterly after denying Jesus three times. His heart was broken and guilt-ridden. In the moment of denial, he did not have the courage to speak the truth as he had so many times before. His mouth failed him and his faith began to weaken because Jesus was about to be crucified.

Even though Peter endured unimaginable difficulty as a disciple of Christ, he was blessed because he walked with, touched, and heard the actual voice of Jesus. It is a sweet truth to know that Jesus said I am blessed because I “have not seen, and yet have believed.” How strange my gift must appear to those in the world around me! How odd it must be for them to see me loving and fighting for someone I have never seen. But no matter. His banner over me is love and I find fellowship not only with Him, but with men like Peter and John the Baptist who have gone before me and whose example spurs me on to greater faith in the face of those who hate me.