Persecuted for His namesake

Living for Jesus is amazing. It brings peace to your soul, wisdom to your mind, and comfort to your heart. But following The Lord isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes we are persecuted for being his followers.

• Romans 8: 17: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

• Luke 9:23: ‘Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’
  

These verses share both sides of the coin when it comes to being Christ’s follower. To suffer with Him, yet also, to be glorified with Him.

But what does it mean to be persecuted in this day and age? Matthew 5:12 speaks about being persecuted like the prophets. But we don’t live in a world that the prophets lived in. We live in a generation of fast-paced entertainment, social media, and a society that urges you to live your life however you choose while simultaneously judging your life choices. But does this mean we are no longer persecuted for following Christ? No, we are persecuted every day.

Living for Jesus calls for a complete lifestyle change. We should love our enemies, refrain from sexual immorality and remain loving, kind, and humble in all that we say and do. This lifestyle opposes how the world operates today. Devastating wars raging, both physically and online. Sex being glamorized in music and pornography. People chasing money, possessions, and status in order to feel better than those with less. We live in a society where being like Jesus is the furthest thing from normal. It is ridiculed. This is where our persecution exists.

And so, we must stand firm on the promises of God. We must hide in His word. And by faith, we know that even though we are persecuted for living for Jesus, our reward will be greater than our oppression. Matthew 5: 10-12 tells us this:

• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

This gives us hope and peace when we are victimized for our faith. Even as we face the world (and even friends or family) deeming us ‘old fashioned’ or ‘too religious’ or ‘a goody two-shoes' let us remember that God calls us ‘blessed’ and ‘heirs’ and ‘sons of God’. For it is not what people say that we are, but what God says that we are, which gives us our identity.

Questions to meditate on:

How does the world around you persecute you for following Jesus?

Is there an instance where someone has victimized you for making a life decision that was for God?

How can I become wiser in dealing with the feelings which comes with being persecuted?

Do I truly and deeply believe in the promises God has made to me? If not, what are the thoughts that stop you from believing wholeheartedly? Address them.

Author: Jo'ash Munian