Being a faithful child of God can be difficult at times and for a variety of reasons. We should not be surprised that this is the case. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” The world hates us because we are different. This can cause us to be more like the world, to mute our Christian character when we are among non-Christians. Jesus tells us that this is something we must not do. In Matthew 6:24 He says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other...” We need to choose which master we will serve, the Lord or the world. As Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” It is one or the other, we can’t serve both. If we make it our purpose in life to serve God, it must be with the whole heart; and serving God with the whole heart will make us different, and being different will make us a target for persecution. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12). A faithful child of God will be different, but not just to be different or draw attention to ourselves. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for just this reason in Matthew 23:5, “But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.” Christians are different because they are trying to follow God’s word, we are motivated by God’s will not our own. As Paul said in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” A faithful child of God will be different from the worldly people around them, and this difference will bring trouble from time to time but it also has good consequences. People will see that difference and some will be drawn to God as a result of the life you live. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Regardless of how much difficulty we may experience because we are Christians, we know it will be worth it in the end. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” (2 Corinthians 4:17).