When Faith Gets a Performance Review

Thursday, March 13th
When Faith Gets a Performance Review
Sheila Sonon

I was told to “tone it down” at work.  What is “it?”  MY FAITH

At first, I wasn’t sure how to take it. Was I being too vocal? Too open? Was my faith making people uncomfortable? The request didn’t just feel unfair—it felt personal. My faith isn’t just something I practice on Sundays; it’s who I am. And yet, here I was, being asked to shrink it down, to keep it quiet.

Jesus warned us that we’d face moments like this. In Luke 12, He tells His disciples to watch out for hypocrisy—the act of putting on a show rather than truly living for God. He reminds us that nothing is hidden from Him. What’s in our hearts will eventually show in our lives.
The world has a way of pressuring believers to compromise—to keep faith private so we don’t stand out or make waves. But Jesus calls us to something higher. He says, “If you stand up for me in front of others, I will stand up for you in front of God’s angels” (Luke 12:8).

 In other words, our faith isn’t meant to be hidden—it’s meant to be lived out.
Later in the passage, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man who was focused on building his own success but neglected his relationship with God. That hits home because, in a way, I was being tempted to do the same—to trade standing firm in my faith for the approval and comfort of fitting in.

So now I have a choice. Do I stay quiet out of fear of what people think? NO! Jesus’ words tells me that my security doesn’t come from my job, my reputation, or what others think of me—it comes from Him.. At the end of the day, I’d rather be acknowledged by Jesus than be accepted by the world.

Prayer:
 Lord, give me the strength to stand firm in my faith, even when I’m pressured to hold back. Help me to reflect Your love and truth with wisdom and grace. Let my life be a witness of Your goodness, no matter the cost. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Luke 12:1-21
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus Speaks to His Disciples

12 Meanwhile, thousands of people had gathered. They were so crowded that they stepped on each other. Jesus spoke to his disciples and said, “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. I’m talking about their hypocrisy. 2 Nothing has been covered that will not be exposed. Whatever is secret will be made known. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. Whatever you have whispered in private rooms will be shouted from the housetops.
4 “My friends, I can guarantee that you don’t need to be afraid of those who kill the body. After that they can’t do anything more. 5 I’ll show you the one you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the power to throw you into hell after killing you. I’m warning you to be afraid of him.
6 “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two cents? God doesn’t forget any of them. 7 Even every hair on your head has been counted. Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows. 8 I can guarantee that the Son of Man will acknowledge in front of God’s angels every person who acknowledges him in front of others. 9 But God’s angels will be told that I don’t know those people who tell others that they don’t know me. 10 Everyone who says something against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But the person who dishonors the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 “When you are put on trial in synagogues or in front of rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. 12 At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”
A Story about Material Possessions
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of the inheritance that our father left us.”
14 Jesus said to him, “Who appointed me to be your judge or to divide ⌞your inheritance⌟?”
15 He told the people, “Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is not about having a lot of material possessions.”
16 Then he used this illustration. He said, “A rich man had land that produced good crops. 17 He thought, ‘What should I do? I don’t have enough room to store my crops.’ 18 He said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones so that I can store all my grain and goods in them. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You’ve stored up a lot of good things for years to come. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?’ 21 That’s how it is when a person has material riches but is not rich in his relationship with God.”