Wednesday, October 21, 2020
No One’s Life Verse
“Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 nlt).
How should we as Christians react when people attack us for what we believe? And what if someone hurts us? Should we forgive them, even if they don't deserve it?
Romans 12 gives us the answer: “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them” (verse 14 nlt). We should bless those who are against us.
Of course, we all know people who give us a hard time because of what we believe. Maybe it’s a spouse, a coworker, or your boss. Or it might be a professor or a teacher in your classroom. It could be an internet troll who continues to harass you when you post about what you believe.
The Bible tells us, “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 nlt). By the way, that’s no one’s life verse. No one displays that statement in calligraphy on their living room wall.
Even so, it’s very true. Every follower of Jesus will, in time, experience persecution in some way. And make no mistake about it: persecution is alive and well. The Pew Research Center did an extensive global survey and found that Christians are the most persecuted religion and people in the world.
No one comes close to facing the persecution that followers of Jesus Christ face globally, including discrimination, verbal assault, physical attacks, and arrests. Every single day, our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer barbaric treatment in nations where it’s very difficult for Christians to live. They’re hounded, tortured, and executed for simply believing in Jesus Christ.
Some might say that’s a good enough reason to walk away.
However, I say that it’s a good enough reason for us to double down in our commitment and realize the Christian faith is not only worth dying for; it’s also worth living for.
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