RIGHTEOUSNESS VERSUS INSULTS
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Because we assume our own permanence, we also assume the permanence of our world and of the people around us. But God has reminded us throughout the Bible that we are finite beings. Our lives and influence extend only so far and so long.
Even “the earth will wear out like a garment” (Isaiah 51:6), so the advice from God to the people He was planning to bring back from their exile in Babylon was that they should invest their lives in things that would last beyond their present lives.
While it is good to “live at peace with everyone,” “if it is possible, as far as it depends on you” (Romans 12:18), we need not be afraid of insults from others, “the reproach of mere mortals.” As hurtful and as daunting as they can be, such insults are only as enduring as their source. It is difficult to feel isolated, ridiculed, or threatened, but we need to keep as large a perspective as possible. Just as a single moth can destroy a garment or piece of cloth (see Isaiah 51:8), even small things can undo otherwise fearsome people.
As always, God offers an alternative to our human fear of human reproach: “My righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations” (Isaiah 51:8).
Only God and His righteousness last forever, so that is where we should focus our greatest attention. Jesus insisted that His followers would be blessed “when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11). As God assured the returning exiles, His blessings are always greater than the insults of those around us.
