When you are persecuted, you reel back and say, “What did I do to deserve this?” You begin to wonder if it’s worth holding out for what you believe to be right. Your convictions determine whether you will take the heat or back out.
You don’t have to be a Christian living in a Muslim or Communist country to feel the heat today. Object to what your kids are learning in school about alternative lifestyles, or raise a standard when it comes to dress or modesty, and you will quickly discover you are living in a world hostile to the standards of God.
When persecution knocks at your door, you tend to be taken by surprise, something that Peter warns Christians about. He wrote, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Jesus told the disciples, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11).
The blessing of persecution is one most of us never ask for. Yet when we have to endure it – when we stand fast in the face of opposition – God purifies our hearts and souls, something that would never happen apart from what you have gone through.
If you are persecuted as a Christian, it is not because of any wrong that you have done, but because you stand for truth and for God. That’s when you can experience His presence and an outpouring of His grace that will take you through your trial.
That’s the blessing Jesus spoke of when He said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11).
Used with permission from Guidelines Philippines, Inc. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, please write to Box 4000, 1280 Makati City, Philippines or e-mail address box4000@guidelines.org. You may also visit our website at www.guidelines.org.