There’s a scripture in Acts that talks about believers being honored that God saw them worthy enough to suffer for His name. Every time I read it all I can say is, “Wow!” Feeling honor to go through a trial because God will be honored is remarkable.
Honestly, most of us never go through anything so intense, especially those of us in America. We have all the freedom to be Christians, and yet many of us have turned it into a chore. Well… I gotta pray. I have to read now… And there is no enthusiasm behind it. There’s none when we say it, and none when we do it.
At the most we experience a little ridicule. We’re excluded from some things. We’re made to seem boring. Very rarely are our lives in full on danger for our faith though. So, why aren’t we happier about it?
I wake up everyday, and the biggest threat I face to my Christianity is that someone will disagree with it. That’s my biggest threat on a daily basis. While others are being beheaded, raped, and persecuted, my threat is whether someone will like or dislike my belief. Believers rejoiced to suffer for God. They didn’t consider it suffer probably nearly as much as they considered it an honor.
So the question I have for myself is, if they can praise for suffering in God’s name, why is it so hard for me to praise Him when I’m not having to suffer?
Acts 5:41
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.