I wonder at how blessed I am in the Lord. I said in a post yesterday that I didn't want to go to my grave having been my own worst enemy. I meant that remark to be specifically related to the job place, but I would like that statement to apply to the rest of my life as well. I don't think I've succeeded in that department, but I strive. (laughing here) I mean, why should I blame the enemy for my own shortcomings? When I fail, it's nobody's fault but my own, and I can't say I ever really had to undergo any real suffering in the name of the Lord. I've had people badmouth me for being a Christian, or say I was a fool to believe in Jesus. So What?

Does that mean I don't really belong to Him? Well, suffering for Christ doesn't prove that you've been saved by Him. There are a lot of people who've undergone real suffering for their religious beliefs who weren't believing Christians, and there are a lot of things involved that causes one to suffer and determines how much they suffer. Jesus was speaking about suffering from the bad treatment from others because of a person's relationship to Him.

I read a book review yesterday that centered on the various and particular religious beliefs of the founding fathers of my home country, the U.S.A.. Whatever those may have been, this country was founded on Christian principles and because of that legacy it's hard to suffer for one's Christian faith in this country at this time, and I'm just fine with that. Like I said before, you might get badmouthed, but so what? It's just my personal observation that that is changing day by day though, and if Christians in this country wish to continue to enjoy their blessing in that regard, they will have to stand up for Christ. In 2 Timothy 3:12, the Apostle Paul puts it this way, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." I think though, that the degree of persecution depends highly on the society in which a person lives and too, on the extent to which that person demonstrates their faith. If I lived with my brothers and sisters in Christ in Sudan for example, I could lose my life just for being a Christian.

Sometimes Christians suffer for their faith in ways that can be avoided. Sometimes they walk into a crowded public event and attempt to share Christ with drunken revelers and yell things at them like,"God has a wonderful plan for your life." Christians who do stuff like that are just asking for it. If they get persecuted, they aren't really getting persecuted for their faith, but instead, for the way they "share" it.

Don't get me wrong, I think we need to sieze every chance we get to lovingly and intelligently share our faith with others, but as believers, we need to be equally concerned about living our lives in a godly way and about knowing what we believe and why we believe it. As the Apostle Peter said in 3 Timothy 3:15; "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"

Who knows? If we do that, we might actually end up suffering for our faith.