Jesus was always up-front about the consequences of following him. He makes it clear that as a Christ-follower, the world will not like you or understand the way you live. Furthermore, you can expect to be persecuted for your faith, for your beliefs, for your righteousness. The world gets uncomfortable around righteousness. The more light that’s in your life, the more the darkness is revealed in the lives of those who are not Christians. That’s not a good feeling for them, and they will resort to mocking you, persecuting you and lying about you, if they can’t find any legitmate reason to undermine your character and defame you. But, despite the suffering you may endure for your faith, Jesus promises that you will be blessed because of the trials. He promises great rewards for those who stand strong and remain faithful to him.

Scriptures
Mt 5:10-12, 44; Jn 15:20; Ac 5:41; Ro 8:17, 12:17, 21; 2 Co 4:17-18; Ep 6:12; 2 Ti 3:12; 1 Pe 4:14, 19

Verse
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:10) “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.” (Mt 5:11-12)

Thought
We know that if we are following Christ as we should, we will have to deal with some suffering. How do we cope? First, remember your fight is not against the flesh and blood person who is attacking you. It is against forces of evil, Satan. He uses whomever and whatever he can to get at God through his children. Secondly, don’t retaliate but, rather, respond positively. Jesus calls us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. It’s not the natural human response, but it’s the Godly response. We cannot control what others do or say, but we can control how we react. Thirdly, Jesus says we should rejoice in persecution because we will receive a great reward. Paul says that when you suffer for Christ you should realize it means you are worthy to suffer; you are living your faith in a way that lights the darkness around you and results in a response from the world. Paul wore his suffering as a badge of honor. That is hard to understand in light of the beatings and imprisonment that Paul endured. However, you can rejoice in being left out of an event that would not be God-honoring. You can be glad that you are not known as a person who would fit in with sinful behavior! You can’t be happy about persecution, but you can be happy in it because your light is shining for Christ! And you can be happy that the suffering you endure is temporary, but the reward you will receive is eternal. And, finally, keep on obeying God and doing right. Hold onto your faith in your faithful Creator. Jesus never promised popularity in this world, but he promised rewards in heaven.

Questions
If your co-workers were asked to describe what kind of person you are, would your faith in Christ be part of their description? If so, why? If not, why? Describe a time you were mocked, persecuted, or lied about because of your faith. Describe a time when you suffered a loss because of your faith (integrity, beliefs, stand on an issue). If you say “no” to an invitation because of your faith or because you don’t want to be in a tempting situation, are you honest about why you are saying “no,” or do you give another excuse (not feeling well, have other plans)?

Response – Determine to be unashamed of your faith in Jesus Christ. Determine that those around you will know you are a Christian by your words, deeds and actions.

Prayer – Dear Lord, you suffered and gave your life so that I could experience forgiveness and have eternal life. Give me strength to stand for you in the days and years of my time on earth so that I may enjoy the blessings and rewards of eternity with you in heaven. In Jesus Name I pray, amen!