My heart breaks. There
are tears and a few moments of hiding in the bathroom before I can face the
world again.
I hear the news – ’21 Christians Beheaded’, ‘ISIS has kidnapped
200 Christians’ and more news of God’s children being persecuted
These people are standing up for God, whom they believe in. They
are willingly giving up everything that they have, even their own lives, for Christ.
A prayer request from the front lines of persecution pops up in
my email inbox -- ‘We the persecuted Christians, ask you not to pray for our
safety, but for Christ
give us strength. Pray that people
will come to know God through our suffering.’
I have to do a double, triple, quadruple take. They don’t ask
for their suffering to be removed or for safety, only that Christ be glorified in their pain?
They ask not to be removed from suffering or to be free of pain,
but that their suffering be a ministry to the lost. These brave Christians care
nothing about their personal safety or well-being. They care about poor, lost,
wondering souls in need of a savior.
Our persecuted brothers and sister in Christ have their eyes,
hearts, and souls set upon Christ. They know that He is a much greater prize
than safety and comfort.
What if we changed our prayer from ‘Lord, please take this pain
away’ to ‘let my suffering be used for your glory’? What if we saw pain not as
a negative, but as a positive? Suffering as a ministry and not a detriment to
such? Persecution as not a bad thing, but a good
thing?
God never said that being a Christian was supposed to be easy.
In fact Acts 14:22 says “We must go through many hardships to
enter the Kingdom of God.”
We must go through hardships. If we claim
Christ then we will face persecution. If we want to be true
followers of Jesus than we must give up everything, as
it says in the book of Luke.
“Any of you who does not give up everything he
has cannot be my
disciple.”
Luke 14:33
But we do not have to be afraid, because The Lord hasn’t just
left us here to struggle alone. He walks right along with us. He has cried our
tears, felt our pain, and carried every fear that we will ever know, upon his
back.
“But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible
one; therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they will not prevail: they
shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting
confusion shall never be forgotten.” Jeremiah 20:11
Jesus knows better than anyone else the sting of persecution. He
has felt the pain of torture. As He hung from the cross He carried the sins of
the entire world on His shoulders. Yet, Jesus did so willing.
He did so willingly. Because He loves us.
If these brothers and sisters can give up literally everything
they have to glorify God and spread the Gospel, than surely we can give up our
comfort zones. If Jesus Christ Himself can carry our sins, be
tortured, and die on a cross for us then surely we can give up
the fear of embarrassment or teasing.
“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, Let him
not be ashamed: but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
1 Peter 4:16
God does not call us to be afraid and timid, but to be fearless and bold.
Let us rejoice in our suffering, giving God glory. Let us trust
in Him, knowing that is love for us is great and eternal.
He will not leave us as strangers to struggle alone.
Let
this be our anthem, knowing that God will never leave us or
forsake us:
“Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written ‘for your sake we encounter
death all day long: we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No,
in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans
8:35-39
xoxo Emma
Last night I watched the Cross Missions Conference, which was really an eye-opener. They spoke about missionaries and those who went into that sort of situation, knowing very well that they may be killed, and did good in the name of Christ. They spoke about how it was a very particular sort of person who was called to go and do that, not just anyone. And it's comforting to know that God has equipped individuals to be fearless in terrifying situations, to continue to glorify him. I thank God that in this moment I can feel afraid and pained because of this, and can continue serving him by praying and doing what I can to make sure these missionaries are equipped to go out. I think it's a blessing that God provides for us, and I think it's a huge testament that these 21 believers took a stand and died fearlessly. I hope they're rejoicing in Heaven.
ReplyDeleteI also think Psalm 40:3 (b?) sums up how our trials can effect those around us. (: And I thank God that our time on earth is short, and just a blink in comparison to eternal life with Him! Thank you for these words, reminding us that it's better to be thankful for the suffering and what it can show, rather than pray for relief and ourselves. True words!
Kiera, I watched CROSS too! I really enjoyed it!
DeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and encouragement!
Love,
Emma
Thank you Emma.
ReplyDeleteIn this response you bring His hope and love we so desperately need! Thank you for this. I don't think I can copy it, can you make a copy for me?
You're very welcome! Thank you too!
DeleteI'll bring a couple printed copies with me tomorrow.
Much love,
Emma