Today’s scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-13 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Jeff Cope):
“To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it” (verses 11, 12).
It always amazes me to read stories in the news about Christians being persecuted for their beliefs. For example, Christians in Iran are routinely jailed because of strict laws preventing the spread of Christianity. In the U.S. we are so accustomed to our religious freedoms that it is hard to comprehend state sanctioned crackdowns on worship and evangelism.
Beyond that, what really astounds me are the people who standup for their beliefs even when their lives are on the line, Christians that sense the urgency of spreading God’s message and do so even in the face of adversity. In my mind these are the true apostles of our day.
Would I have the same strength and courage in that situation? Would I hold to my convictions even when faced with losing my freedom, family, or life? How far would I go to openly love God? Honestly, I wonder how quickly I’d buckle under that kind of pressure. It is very easy to say we love God unconditionally but quite another to do so cheerfully while being persecuted. After all, even Peter himself denied knowing Jesus when things got tough.
Even though we aren’t in grave danger for our beliefs, I think the fact that we were given the religious freedoms we have puts an extra sense of responsibility on us; one to grow and evolve the Church into an ever more accepting place to love God. We get the opportunity to set the bar for what religious freedom can mean for the world: peace and love.
Thought for the day: How am I using my unique place in the world to further the spread of Christianity?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.