“Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
‘For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.’
But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.”
Have you ever given up on something when it became difficult? Perhaps you really believed in the idea for a while (ahem — New Year’s resolutions…) but then after a while your enthusiasm faded. We start asking ourselves the same question every time: “Is it really worth the effort?”
In the early days of the church (around 40-80 A.D.), Christians were being killed for their belief that Jesus is God. They were ridiculed, beaten, and thrown in jail. Some in the American church have a false martyrdom concept that truly cheapens what religious persecution actually looks like. It’s not about someone making fun of you for going to church, it’s living with a reality that you could be indefinitely imprisoned or killed for going to church. There’s big difference. How much are you really willing to risk for your faith?
If you get your feathers ruffled when someone says, “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” it’s time to get some thicker skin. If you are easily offended by non-Christians not practicing Christian concepts, then you are seeking after a mandated religion that is totally opposite of the Gospel. Remaining faithful to Jesus means being willing to risk it all: your comfort, your peace, your prosperity, and even your life. It’s about you, not about other people. We have to identify our idols and root them out of our lives — that’s when we can really understand what it means to give up everything for the sake of Christ. What are you holding on to today?