Promise of Persecution
Christian believers are the most-persecuted religious group in the world today. In Middle-Eastern countries especially, persecution has been a prevalent topic in recent news, featuring radical Islamist groups such as ISIS. However, Christians are the subjects of persecution around the world, including in America (Hirst 10-13). The words of the Bible inform believers that “all who . . . live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (The Holy Bible, 2 Tm. 3.12); therefore, persecution on account of faith isn’t a possibility, but a promise.
Christian believers throughout history and across the world have experienced all types of persecution, examples being “arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation and torture” …show more content…
For a while, I fought the conviction I knew He had given me, but ultimately was overwhelmed by His prompting. I approached my coach one late afternoon during sophomore year, and timidly informed him that I was going to stop running on the team. He asked why, and I hesitated as I gave him the reason. This coach, who had invested so much in me, stopped all communication. Suddenly I didn’t have a place among my group of athletic friends because I had chosen God over cross-country. Most people I spoke with didn’t understand, and I received no support but from my immediate family. No one could fathom why I had stopped, and I barely knew myself. All I knew was that God had called me to stop idolizing cross-country and to completely put all my faith in Him. He was showing me that this required that I stop running for myself and start serving Him in other …show more content…
However, though I received much persecution for my choice, ultimately God opened my eyes to see the opportunities that He was giving me to serve Him, and run at the same time. I coached cross-country and distance track at Garfield Elementary every day after school, and had several opportunities to testify to the Gospel of Christ and encourage the young runners in perseverance. Additionally, I started a running club at Jackson Elementary in Fresno, which coincided with a kids Bible lesson every other Saturday morning. I experienced more joy and encouragement than I had ever thought possible.
1 Peter says to “rejoice insofar as you share Christ 's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed” (1 Pt. 4.12). The satisfaction and knowledge that God was working in my life was worth the status I had lost, and the persecution I had experienced, in the previous months. God allowed me to experience this persecution, ultimately so that He might be glorified and be revealed to others through His work in me. I am incredibly thankful to
Christian believers are the most-persecuted religious group in the world today. In Middle-Eastern countries especially, persecution has been a prevalent topic in recent news, featuring radical Islamist groups such as ISIS. However, Christians are the subjects of persecution around the world, including in America (Hirst 10-13). The words of the Bible inform believers that “all who . . . live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (The Holy Bible, 2 Tm. 3.12); therefore, persecution on account of faith isn’t a possibility, but a promise.
Christian believers throughout history and across the world have experienced all types of persecution, examples being “arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation and torture” …show more content…
For a while, I fought the conviction I knew He had given me, but ultimately was overwhelmed by His prompting. I approached my coach one late afternoon during sophomore year, and timidly informed him that I was going to stop running on the team. He asked why, and I hesitated as I gave him the reason. This coach, who had invested so much in me, stopped all communication. Suddenly I didn’t have a place among my group of athletic friends because I had chosen God over cross-country. Most people I spoke with didn’t understand, and I received no support but from my immediate family. No one could fathom why I had stopped, and I barely knew myself. All I knew was that God had called me to stop idolizing cross-country and to completely put all my faith in Him. He was showing me that this required that I stop running for myself and start serving Him in other …show more content…
However, though I received much persecution for my choice, ultimately God opened my eyes to see the opportunities that He was giving me to serve Him, and run at the same time. I coached cross-country and distance track at Garfield Elementary every day after school, and had several opportunities to testify to the Gospel of Christ and encourage the young runners in perseverance. Additionally, I started a running club at Jackson Elementary in Fresno, which coincided with a kids Bible lesson every other Saturday morning. I experienced more joy and encouragement than I had ever thought possible.
1 Peter says to “rejoice insofar as you share Christ 's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed” (1 Pt. 4.12). The satisfaction and knowledge that God was working in my life was worth the status I had lost, and the persecution I had experienced, in the previous months. God allowed me to experience this persecution, ultimately so that He might be glorified and be revealed to others through His work in me. I am incredibly thankful to