March 27, 2023
Melissa Valerio
Have you ever been shot for professing your faith in Christ? If you’re living in the US, probably not. But that’s not the case for many people in other parts of the world. Take Kareem, for instance. He was born into a Muslim family in Syria, came to know Christ, tried to share Jesus with his family, and was ultimately beaten, tortured, and shot for his faith. Kind of makes our “suffering” seem inconsequential compared to what he’s gone through.
But that’s not to say we don’t also share in suffering for Christ. When the apostle Peter wrote a letter to the believers in Asia Minor, he was writing to those that were being persecuted for following Jesus. He said “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Peter 3:13-16 NIV) Peter was encouraging them to be bold in their faith, knowing that standing for Jesus may produce hostility, but being confident in the hope of Christ will give you power and strength to speak the truth.
This is true for us today, too! We know and we believe that Jesus is Lord, but when given the opportunity to share Him, how many times do we clam up and close our mouths? Why do we do that? Because we fear the “persecution” we’ll receive from those we’re sharing Him with. For us, this persecution can look like judgement, rejection, even hostility. For some of us, it could even be a severed relationship, if those we’re sharing Him with have a strong hatred toward Him.
And let’s not forget what Jesus says in Matthew 10:33 “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (NIV) We have no excuse! If Kareem can share his faith in the midst of opposition, certainly we can share our faith in the midst of peace.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the freedom to follow You and worship You without fear of being attacked. Strengthen our hearts and give us a bold desire to share You with everyone we can. You are Truth, and people need to know the Truth. Help us to not be ashamed of the Gospel, it’s what has saved our souls. In Your holy name, Amen.
Action: Click here to read Kareem’s story. Then consider this — suffering for Christ for you and me is nothing compared to suffering for Christ for people like Kareem. Offer up a prayer, right now, for those that are physically and emotionally tormented because of their love for Jesus. Ask that God would protect them, encourage them, send them help, and deliver them from these oppressive situations. And if the Spirit is leading you to give, give as much as you can to organizations that bring relief to the persecuted. Let’s stand together with them in the name of our Lord.
image: freepik.com