Today’s reading is Acts 5.
Certainly, we know we are supposed to count it all joy when we face various trials. But, the apostles didn’t just face various trials. They faced persecution. They weren’t just facing the general ups and downs of life. They weren’t just doing the best they could but got sick, got fired, got hurt. They were serving the Lord faithfully and were targeted for that exact faithful service. A more natural, flesh-based response might be something like: “Lord, what’s up? I thought you were King of the world. I thought you had conquered these jokers. I thought you had seated us above all the principalities and powers on earth and in the heavenly places. Why are you letting this happen?” But that isn’t the apostles’ response. They are excited to suffer for Jesus. They are excited to sacrifice for Jesus. They rejoice to be prisoners for and of Jesus. This is so topsy-turvy. Most people rejoice when their King promotes them, gives them land, servants, money. Jesus’s ambassadors rejoice because they get to suffer for Him. In a day when Christianity is touted as the way to have your best life now, this look back at what serving Christ looked like in the beginning makes me stop and do some real self-examination. I have a lot of growing to do.
Next week’s reading is Acts 6.
A Word for Our Kids
Hey kids, for some reason, here in America, we have the idea that if we do Christianity right, we’ll make lots of money, have a fantastic marriage, raise pristine children, and just be all-around successful. That really is shocking considering the whole enterprise was started by a homeless man accused of being a criminal who ended up dying on a cross. Frankly, it didn’t get any better with His successors. The men He raised up to establish His kingdom and spread His message, were in constant scrapes with the law. They were repeatedly accused of crime, imprisoned, beaten, abused. Ultimately, most of them were executed for the crime of being a Christian. Surely, it is a blessing that Christianity has been much more highly favored in our modern culture. But let us never forget where it started, lest we forget what it is really all about. Christianity is not about self-help, business management, relationship improvement, retirement planning, physical fitness. Christianity is about submitting to King Jesus and passing on His message of eternal salvation and life. In a friendly culture, we might have some of those other things as well. But never forget what our King and His ambassadors were all about. Never forget what life as a Christian is really all about. Perhaps a question we need to ask is if I ended up suffering because I’m a Christian, would I think something had gone terribly wrong, start complaining, and consider quitting? Or would I rejoice? What about you?
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