Suffer

2 Timothy 3:10-12 (NIV)

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...

The Apostle Paul says that he was known for his teaching, way of life, faith...and persecutions and sufferings.

Persecution for our faith isn't something that we often think of or talk about because of the time and place in which we live.

We definitely should be thankful that we're allowed to practice our religion freely, and we should protect and respect everyone's right to do that.

There are, however, still places in the world where following Jesus could lead to persecution.

I get email updates from a friend who is a missionary in a foreign country. His messages always begin with, "do not duplicate, forward or distribute this message." It's a matter of security, because for him the threat of persecution is real.

What about us? Does Christianity have a cost?

I tend to think that I'm suffering if the cable goes out for an hour.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said that "grace is free, but it is not cheap."

Somehow, following Jesus has to make us different. It will cause us to stand out and apart from others at times.

And it's the nail that sticks up that gets hammered down...right?

Jesus knew that those who really tried to hear his teachings...who allowed him to change their hearts and really began to follow him in powerful ways would face adversity. He knew that there would be misunderstanding and sacrifice. Jesus thinks and acts differently than the world. He is a fundamentally counter-cultural presence, in the best possible way. Swimming upstream always brings a degree of friction.

I am not, and never will be, an advocate of "holier-than-thou" pseudo-Christian self-righteousness and judgmentalism.

But I do think that Jesus-followers have to embrace being different. Like Paul, our trust is in Jesus, not what the world can give us. There is always a promise of rescue. We are not alone.

Prayer: Help us to follow humbly in the footsteps of Jesus. Show us his way, and help us embrace whatever new way of life that may mean. May we know that we are never alone.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:14-17