Perspectives

Matthew 5:10-12… 10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11) “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (NIV)

Have you ever felt mistreated? How about being harassed by people who do not seem to have feelings for others? Do you feel like you are all alone in this world at times? Do you sometimes feel like you are ready to give up? Is your heart at the breaking point and you felt like crying? These feelings are common and there are many times that I feel just like this, because life is not always good to us. People are not always kind to us. We are going to have bad days and we are going to have the good days. But, when we have bad days because we are being unjustly mistreated and because we are doing our best to live the right way, the Christian way that hurts!

We need encouragement when persecution comes our way. One thing we can be sure of, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, persecution will come to us; that is a fact! There are times when we deserve it… that is also a fact. But, we can rise above this harassment because Jesus said so.

Many of us have never really made a huge sacrifice when we talk about living for Christ, However, when being a Christian seems likely to cost us something, it also gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our loyalty to Christ in such a way that the whole world can see that we are different.

It also means we open ourselves up to some real persecution. If we are going to be Christians, we are going to suffer some form of harassment. The Bible does not say that I will be blessed if I am going to be a hateful person. No, if I am being persecuted because I am impossible to get along with, well, then I deserve it. If we are persecuted for being righteous, meaning being Christ like, then we will be blessed.

To have to suffer for the cause of Christ is to walk the same road that the prophets, the saints and the martyrs walked. What Jesus is really saying is that it is going to be tough out there. Someone will come along wanting to harm what is in our mind and heart, to make life difficult for us. “However; I will give you power through the Holy Spirit to be successful, to be victorious,” Jesus said. When we are called on, to suffer because we are Christians, this is always a crucial moment in our spiritual lives, in fact, it can be a great moment in our Christian life. The reason being it is a clash between two entities, the world and Christ; between right and wrong.

Another thing, it means you and I are sharing in the suffering of Christ, and so it is not a penalty but a moment of glory. “Rejoice at such a moment,” says Jesus, “and be glad because I will be nearer to you then I have ever been before.”

I do not think we will suffer physical death because of our loyalty to Christ and our Christian walk and talk. There can be no doubt that we will be insulted and mocked from time to time. People will persecute you because you are doing the best you can and you are being honest at whatever ministry that involved you.

Remember Christ still needs you as his witness; Christ needs those who are prepared to live for him. You are the salt of the earth. You are the world’s seasoning to make it tolerable. If we lose our flavour or saltiness, what will happen to the world? We are the worlds light: A city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.

Would you pray this prayer with me … “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have the peace in my heart that I yearn for. I really want that peace, joy and happiness that will fulfill my heart desire. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will honour Your Name.” Amen