Have you ever been persecuted for your faith in Christ? How were you persecuted? What was your reaction when you were persecuted? How did it make you feel?
In Matthew 5:11 Jesus said that His followers would be persecuted:
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Ashamedly, I spent many years trying to avoid being persecuted. There have been many times that I wish I would’ve said something when a conversation was taking place, but fearing an unknown reaction, I remained silent.
There have been times that I had the opportunity to do the right thing, but I was in a crowd of people. I didn’t know what people would think or say about me, so I didn’t do anything.
Like Peter, I use those past failed moments as motivation to not repeat them. Sometimes I feel myself hungering for opportunities to say something or to take action, to do the right thing when nobody else is. I want to prove to my Lord Jesus that I am not ashamed of Him or His gospel.
When I observe the life and ministry of Jesus, it’s so bizarre that the people who persecuted Jesus the most were the religious leaders. It was the religious leaders who ultimately put the cruel scheme in motion that would lead to the arrest and murder of Christ.
As I reflect on this, I can’t help but wonder how much of the persecution that Christians face today comes from inside the church? Have you ever wanted to respond at the invitation song, but didn’t, because you feared what people would think or say about you? Guilty.
I’ve reached the point in my life that I’m tired of worrying about what other people think. I don’t want to look back at my life and have a lot of regrets. I want to follow Christ even if people think I’m the biggest fool on the planet for doing so.
As we really dig into the topic of persecution this week, it’s my prayer that our hearts will be moved to a courage we’ve never known before, that we will be true champions for Christ and His cause!
You are in my prayers all week long – I love and appreciate you all, my wonderful family in Christ.
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
