1 Peter 4:15-16
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Why do we suffer? For what reasons do we suffer?
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Why do we suffer? For what reasons do we suffer?
Think about that.... If you aren't suffering now, think of the last time that suffered, and why was it that you suffered.
Do we suffer because of our own actions? Consequences to choices that either we have or haven't made..... Often times, we read through scripture and see words like murderer, thief and criminal.....and we think "not us" and we gloss over.... But this verse says "or even as a meddler". Have you meddled before? Have our actions fallen any where between being a murderer or a meddler? And if so, and then we may suffer because of it....and probably rightly so.
But when was the last time we suffered for Christ? I know, most of us that are reading this live in "the land of the free".... Límited suffering. No persecution. Límited opportunities to suffer in Christ's name.
If only that were true..... We've allowed prayer to be taken out of our schools. We've allowed the Ten Commandments to be removed. We've allowed millions of lives to be extinguished before even one breath is taken. We've allowed our circle of Christian influence to decrease instead of increase. And all the while, we have encountered no suffering in Christ's name? Of course we haven't.....we have relinguished ground. I'm afraid that we have had ample time to suffer in His name.....but we chose a different path.
If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed.....but what of those of us who have choosen not to suffer. What of us who look the other way or bury ourselves in smaller kingdoms of our own making? Maybe we aren't as lucky as we might seem......
What is God prompting you to do today? Do it. Praying as we each continue on our paths of obedience.......
Do we suffer because of our own actions? Consequences to choices that either we have or haven't made..... Often times, we read through scripture and see words like murderer, thief and criminal.....and we think "not us" and we gloss over.... But this verse says "or even as a meddler". Have you meddled before? Have our actions fallen any where between being a murderer or a meddler? And if so, and then we may suffer because of it....and probably rightly so.
But when was the last time we suffered for Christ? I know, most of us that are reading this live in "the land of the free".... Límited suffering. No persecution. Límited opportunities to suffer in Christ's name.
If only that were true..... We've allowed prayer to be taken out of our schools. We've allowed the Ten Commandments to be removed. We've allowed millions of lives to be extinguished before even one breath is taken. We've allowed our circle of Christian influence to decrease instead of increase. And all the while, we have encountered no suffering in Christ's name? Of course we haven't.....we have relinguished ground. I'm afraid that we have had ample time to suffer in His name.....but we chose a different path.
If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed.....but what of those of us who have choosen not to suffer. What of us who look the other way or bury ourselves in smaller kingdoms of our own making? Maybe we aren't as lucky as we might seem......
What is God prompting you to do today? Do it. Praying as we each continue on our paths of obedience.......
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