II Timothy 3: 12-13:  “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”  In our culture and world today, we will be persecuted and opposed when we live a godly life as a Christian.  When we are in a leadership position of high exposure and profile, the opposition will be even more aggressive, vocal and public.  I know this from experience and trial by fire. When I served as President of Texas A&M University, the attacks and opposition always came from those with evil and anti-Christian motives and a liberal academic agenda.  They deceived others out of their own lives being deceived by the enemy.  I understood this and did not back down from my Christian and moral core values established from my childhood and leadership experiences developed through my life in Christ and His Word in my heart.  I remembered what the great pastor of Houston First Baptist Church, John Bisango, once said, “If you want to avoid criticism, say nothing, be nothing and do nothing.”  In other words, don’t cower to the opposition and persecution that will come when you do the right thing.

So, how does this impact you and your spiritual leadership?  It impacts you in every area of life in which you walk and lead daily.  My daughter who was a student at Texas A&M when I served as President once told me, “Dad, I was watching to see what you were going to do in that situation.”  Your children are ALWAYS watching what you do at home, at work, at church and in the community.  You must be their example of a godly life in Christ Jesus who stands up to the persecution and opposition.  Years later, I can see how God has honored this in my daughter’s life and now her children.  It is not easy in the workplace to live out this week’s Scripture, but it is the only way to honor Christ and live a godly life.  The applause of man is only temporary, but the favor of God is eternal.  The choice is ours to make every day.