Don't be afraid

and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,  - Philippians 1.28-29

The future is always just a little scary. I may not come across like it – but I hate the unknown. I know that I should have faith and be able to trust God for everything that comes my way, but sometimes I get afraid about what is coming next.

I don’t like adversaries or opposition. Though we don’t have to worry about it mush here in the west much of the church is severely opposed and oppressed. And the worrisome thing is we can all expect to suffer for Christ.

I can’t speak for the suffering church first person. I do know that they are facing things that we may never see. These folks face arrest, imprisonment, torture, rape, and brutality just for accepting Christ. All I can do is to encourage them based on the word of God that what they are going through is the cost of being a believer since the founding of the church and God will be glorified through their struggles. 

So far we in the west haven’t a clue about what it really means to suffer for the cause of Christ. We get afraid because someone calls us a name or denies us a special tax status or because laws change to make our culture less moral or our ‘free speech’ is somehow being restricted or the wrong politicians are in power  or – in some cultures – because Christians may not get to own assault rifles.

The day may come when things really do get scary for us. We can’t rule that out. So if it comes we need to realise that it is nothing new. It is what is to be expected.

And if it does come, like it has to so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to have the confidence that though the enemies of God have planned destruction God has planned deliverance. Suffering for Christ is part of being saved. The things that western Christians fear the most is the thing that best shows the reality of our faith to a lost world. Fear seems to be at the top of the agenda for the western church. All kinds of fearmongering and sensationalism are the norm.

Our focus should not be on the fear, but on the One who has the power to carry us through and prove Himself mighty through our lives.