ok, i thought i'd start a blog about what God was saying to me recently...i usually blogged that on myspace anyway. sunday at church, we looked at persecution for a while. how essential is persecution to being a Christian? i mean, i don't think we go out and look for it or do things just to stir it up, but if we aren't being persecuted, are we really doing all God has for us to do? during the lesson, i found my self investigating two passages in matthew that are part of the 'sermon on the mount'...one at the end and one at the beginning. first, i looked at the passage beginning in matthew 7:21 (not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord...). i noticed that Jesus mentioned several things people will have done that made them think they were believers when they weren't. he mentioned prophesy (teaching, preaching, etc.). he mentioned casting out demons (maybe helping people change or even pointing them to Christ). and he mentioned miracles (which could be taking credit for miracles they saw, praying for people that real Christians were praying for and seeing them healed, or being the kind of liar we've seen make stuff up and actually begin to believe it themselves--even as they stand before God!). but Jesus did not mention being persecuted here. now, i know someone that isn't really a Christian can be persecuted and even killed thinking they are. but, the fact that he didn't mention that leads me to believe that persecution might be one of the better indicators of whether someone is truly a Christian or not. it would be hard to take perseuction if you were not. also, among Christians, persecution might be a good measure of their faith. i see so many people that think they have it all together. they have their kids raised and think they were the best parents. they think their opinion is better than anyone elses. everything seems to be perfect in their life (other than they don't know people get tired of their opinions and arrogance). well, perhaps their life is so good because their faith isn't strong enough to endure any hardships. maybe God is giving them all they can handle and remain faithful to him. the other passage is the Beatitudes (matthew 5:1-12). this passage sends blessings on those who endure hardships and persecution. i look at the things in my life i consider hardships and wonder if i would quit having so much self-pity, would i be able to do more for God. and as i did, more persecution would come but i be better equipped to handle it as God gave me the strength...and as he gave me more strength, i would be able to do more for him...and as i did more for him... you get the point. but does that seem pointless--to make the 'game of life' harder as you get better in him? no, because we shouldn't be living for this life...we are living for something much bigger!
1 year ago
2 comments:
Do you think persecution means strictly people giving you a hard time simply because you are a Christian or do you think it just means hardship in general. i.e. being made fun of because you won't listen to "worldly" music vs. health problems. Am I being clear enough? Anyway, because I think it is rare that people experience persecution due to decisions they made because of Christian convictions, at least in America. And I think the more that we begin to see this in our lives maybe the closer we are becoming to Christ. What's your take? Or maybe it's not persecution from people at all; maybe it is persecution straight from the devil himself, which opens up a whole 'nother can of worms. IDK
i think persecution can come in the form of someone knowing that they are persecuting (which is rare in America, like you say), or it can come through circumstances by which satan is controlling things or using people that don't even know it. i mean, i guess i consider Job being persecuted, so i do think it can come in that sense--attacks from satan. you know they always say, if satan isn't messin with you, then he doesn't think he needs to be concerned with you. the beatitudes list poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who long for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. those aren't all painfully persecuted, but each is offered a blessing because of what they were willing to give up to obtain those things. those are all unselfish characteristics that you pay a price for and that price may or may not fall into what we call persecution, but it can bring on hardship as a result. it could not only be considered unselfish or hardship, but willingly sought after.
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