God’s Troublemakers

 

 Introduction

Certain people obtain a reputation, whether warranted or not, that when they walk into a room, someone would say, “Here comes trouble.” Sometimes it’s a child, who causes problems or creates a commotion constantly. Or it might just be an innocent child who has the look of mischief on their face.

Then, there are those who see Christians as troublemakers as they want everything done by the book (God’s word) and seemingly disrupt the general flow of things or, what they’d call, the “balance of normalcy”. But, it’s usually because they want what’s best for people who’d rather be left alone. The scriptures gives us a few examples of God’s people who were deemed troublemakers.

 

O Troubler of Israel

In 1^st Kings 18, we read the story known as the Mount Carmel Victory. Elijah, God’s prophet goes up against the 450 prophets of Baal in a contest of which god is the true one. In verse 17, when he comes to see King Ahab, the King’s response is, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

Ahab, like many of the wicked kings, did not want to be bothered by God and His laws. They’d rather rule by their own set of standards which is why he refers to Elijah as a troubler. Elijah’s response is, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:18).

The real troublemaker, here, was Ahab and his household. Those who commit sin would rather point the finger at the righteous as they’d want to upset the “balance of normalcy”.

 

The Apostles

During the time of the apostles, the 12, and others like them, were considered troublemakers as they were bringing a new doctrine into the world from the hands of God Almighty and His son, Jesus the Christ. In Acts 17:6, some were looking for Paul in Thessalonica, But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6 NKJV)

Jason, and those who were believers, were considered troublemakers as they preached about a king other than Caesar. Even though they had the truth on their side, they were considered the “bad guys” as they were disrupting the “balance of normalcy”. When they learned that Paul and Silas had preached Jesus in Berea, those from Thessalonica had travelled there to stir up trouble.

The apostle Paul put it best in his first letter to the church in Corinth, And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now (1 Corinthians 4:12-13). Even though they continued to do the work of their ministry, they were considered outcasts because they were “different”. Through his second letter, Paul had to defend his apostleship as some, in that congregation, didn’t believe that he was sent by God. He was, after all, not of the original 12. But he spoke of this, Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. (1 Corinthians 15:8)

This is what Jesus taught, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Finally, the apostle Peter speaks of this, For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you (1 Peter 4:3-4).

 

Conclusion

When one turns their back on their former life, the rest of the world can’t understand it and consider you to be nothing more than a troublemaker. They don’t want to turn to the truth, so they will mock Christians to prove their point. If you stay the course of faithfulness, you will receive your reward in the end (2 Tim. 4:7-8).