Persecution

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”

This verse is a powerful reminder that living a godly life in Christ Jesus is not going to be easy. We are not going to be praised, adored, and loved by all. There will be persecution. While this persecution may not be to the extreme examples we think of, there could be varying degrees of it. For example, we could be trying to show the love of Christ to others and be verbally assaulted. We could be preaching and find ourselves arrested. We could profess our faith to our family and friends and be harshly rejected. It won’t be an easy road, but it will be worth it.

When our intentions are pure and coming from a good place, it can be puzzling as we wonder “why do people persecute us”? Why can’t they see that we want the best for them? We don’t want to judge them, we don’t want to harm them, we don’t want to make their life harder. We only want to share the love and Gospel message of Christ. Jesus reminds us,

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” (John 15:18-25)

So when you feel persecuted, reviled, rejected, beat down, and hurt by others, turn the other cheek with love and kindness. We as followers of the Lord might have once acted like them, combative, rejecting the truth of God’s Word, living for ourselves, uninterested in the things of the Lord, or even vehemently opposing it. If we call this to mind, we can remember to have mercy on them, pray for them, and forgive them. As the martyr Stephen says, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).