Listen Live
Praise Charlotte App Graphics
Praise 100.9 Featured Video
CLOSE

Confrontation by definition is viewed as a negative action. Normally, when you “confront” someone, you instantly place the other person on defense which in turn creates a negative or uncomfortable exchange. However, confrontation in itself is not a negative or bad thing….it’s just how it is used or should I say abused that makes it seem bad. Confrontation can be good and necessary. When one confronts, one is looking to illuminate a subject, concern or issue, often with the desire to rebuke, reveal or restore. It’s through confrontation truth is recognized.

Many don’t realize it, but, Jesus was confrontational. Think about it, in correcting the naysayers and instructing others, Jesus often used strong language and tone to rebuke, reveal and restore.

“Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23 NIV

Here Jesus is rebuking Satan in response to Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus’ predicting His death.

In the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath, Jesus was confrontational when he responded to the synagogue leader’s objection to His healing. “The Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’” Luke 13: 15-16 NIV

Jesus confronted, revealing inconsistency in religious practices.

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison…” 1 Peter 3:18-19 NIV

Jesus being crucified and defeating death is the greatest confrontation reconciling us with God, taking the sting out of death and giving us the opportunity to have eternal life through Jesus.

Today, God confronts us in how we are living, thinking and believing; reminding us through His word that we cannot live like the world if we say we are living for Him. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17 NIV

Daily, you must confront yourself to make sure you are walking in right relationship with God. You can’t begin to confront others if you fail to first confront yourself. What in your life needs confronting today?