Suffering

“If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you...it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!” 1 Peter 4:14,16 NLT

Many hearts are heavy across America this week with the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, a man who boldly declared his faith alongside his political beliefs. Both his recorded words and the values he stood for will be remembered far beyond his lifetime. What the enemy intended to use to silence his message has instead already inspired many Christians to speak boldly about their faith instead. We see this pattern over and over again in history, beginning with the early church in Acts, which spread out in the face of persecution, ultimately leading to the gospel being preached in new locations.

As we use our voices to proclaim the good news about Jesus, we are warned that we will be met with resistance. Jesus himself warns us of this in John 15,

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” John 15:18-21

Knowing that some people are going to hate us just because of our faith can be frightening, especially when we see that someone recently lost their life for talking openly about their values. Although persecution happens all over the world, we don’t see this quite as often in America, and it really hits home when it happens in our own back yard. What do we do about this? How can we be bold in our faith and get rid of fear? How can we be happy to carry the name of Christ boldy even if it means suffering?

We must stay close to Jesus, walking with Him daily. His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). He reminds us that we have the Advocate with us—the Holy Spirit—who comforts us when we suffer, reminding us of everything that Jesus said. Jesus gives us peace unlike anything the world can give, and He reminds us to not be troubled or be afraid (John 14:26-27). God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

The more time we spend with Jesus, the more fear falls off our shoulders. We also become like the people we spend the most time with, so the more we spend time with Jesus, the more we start to act like Him as “the glorious Spirit of God rests upon us.” We begin to have peace that doesn’t make sense. Joy in the middle of hardship and suffering. It’s “the Jesus glow” that people describe—as Jesus changes our lives, we become like bright shining lights. And Jesus wants us to shine bright so that more people can come to know Him (Matthew 5:14-16).

May we all in our own circles of influence be bright shining lights who boldly proclaim the truth to a broken and hurting world. And may we find hope and comfort in knowing that this world is not our home, and great joy awaits us on the other side, even if we suffer here for a little while.

“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.” Matthew 5:10-12

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” Psalm 116:15

Prayer:

Dear God, the weight of being able to see what’s happening all over the world can be so heavy to carry. Help me to live a life that honors you even in the face of adversity. Help me be a bright shining light and not hide away in fear. May any suffering I face here on earth be so dim compared to the glorious joy of daily walking with you. As we process this painful week as a nation, help all of us who love You shine brighter than ever before, unafraid of the enemy’s tactics to silence and destroy. In your name I pray, amen.