In review of Matthew 5:11-12 Jesus tells me, “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.”
(NIV)
Jesus tells me to be happy when I'm persecuted for my faith. Persecution can be good because (1) it takes my eyes off earthly rewards, (2) it strips away superficial belief, (3) it strengthens my faith when I endure, and (4) my attitude through it serves as an example to others who follow. I can be comforted by knowing that God's greatest prophets were also persecuted. The very fact that I am being persecuted proves that I have been faithful; as a faithless person would go unnoticed. In the future God will reward my faithfulness by receiving me into his Kingdom, where there is no more persecution.
As I follow Jesus, I will face trouble. It’s guaranteed! I’ll be harassed, persecuted, rejected, and ridiculed because of my faith.
But that’s not the end of the story. The Bible says that Jesus endured the torture of the cross “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).
I, too, must focus on my future reward if I want to get through my temporary troubles.
At the end of history and this life. Everyone will one day kneel before Jesus Christ. Everyone will say, “Jesus is Lord.” Some will praise him because they’ve done so all their lives. Others will praise him in judgment to themselves because they’ve denied him all their lives.
Every professor who ridiculed you because of your faith and every person who tried to convince me to abandon my faith will one day praise Jesus. Every entertainer who made a mockery of God’s name and every politician who opposed his ways will praise him (Philippians 2:9-11).
Everyone will one day bow before Jesus. At that time God will also reward me for staying true to him despite the harassment and criticism I faced for my faith.
Jesus said, “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 5:11-12 NIV).
Whenever I face persecution, I’m in the same category as Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Moses.
Just like those great prophets of old, I’ll one day experience an eternity with God, full of unimaginable joy. The harassment, persecution, rejection, and ridicule I may face now for Jesus’ sake won’t compare to the reward of eternity with God.
Therefore I put my hope in this truth so that when life gets tough, I can endure.
In summary, I'll be blessed when I’m insulted, persecuted and falsely speak evil against me because of my belief. When this happens, I can rejoice and be glad, because great will be my reward in heaven. When persecuted, (1) it takes my eyes off earthly rewards, (2) it strips away superficial belief, (3) it strengthens my faith as I endure, and (4) my attitude through it serves as an example to others. The very fact that I am being persecuted proves that I have been faithful; as a faithless person would go unnoticed. I will face trouble. It’s guaranteed! I’ll be harassed, persecuted, rejected, and ridiculed because of my faith. Jesus endured the torture of the cross “for the joy set before him” So I need to focus on my future reward if I want to get through my temporary troubles. God will also reward me for staying true to him despite the harassment and criticism I faced for my faith. I'll one day experience an eternity with God, full of unimaginable joy. Therefore I put my hope in this truth so that when life gets tough, I can endure.
I don’t face the same kind of physical persecution that those at the time of this writing were experiencing. My persecution comes more superficially, as I’m ridiculed, viewed as not cool and thought stupid for my belief and my faith. It’s ok to let being cool go. Instead of being in the background going unnoticed, it’s ok to let others know what I believe and have faith in.
I pray this morning Father that with the help of the Holy Spirit, that I recognize the times where I would rather go unnoticed about my faith, that instead I embrace it and know what benefits I will and others will gain. While yesterday’s problem at work was not fun, and I felt pressure and disappointment from others in leadership, that you have a purpose in it. I ask you today for wisdom and guidance for my day, my activities, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray this through your Son Jesus name, Amen.
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