Hi and welcome to the Five Word Prayers Daily, a five day a week daily devotional where we share the word, prayers, and our heart.

I'm Lisa Whittle, and I welcome you to just five minutes with me, which I trust and pray will be five minutes well spent.

I would almost bet money that you've heard this phrase, especially lately, I want to be known for what I'm for as a Christian, not for what I'm against.

It's something that a lot of us have been saying, particularly I think in this volatile

culture where we're becoming more and more vocal about what we believe, and it's not

always pretty.

But should Christians only be for things, or should we be against things too?

Let's talk about it today on the daily.

Matthew 1032 is one of those famous verses in the Bible. Whoever acknowledges me before others,

I will also acknowledge before my father in heaven.

It's right in the middle of a long bit of teaching Jesus is doing with his disciples to basically tell them, okay, here's how it's all going to go down. He prepares them for persecution

and talks to them about that. He talks to them about not being afraid. And he addresses this

idea of being

for and against when he gets down to it. And it talks about what following him will be really

about and what it will really look like and how sometimes that it won't be pretty. And sometimes

it won't be pleasing to others. And then he says this in verse 34. Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth. No, I came to bring a sword. I've come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, your enemies will be right in your own household.

If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine,

or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you're not worthy of being mine.

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you're not worthy of being mine.

And then this familiar verse, if you cling to your life,

you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will find it. Some tough talk by Jesus himself

to his disciples. So the question really is, can we as a believer live our lives and simply

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