Nobody wants to suffer. It’s against our human nature. Families are spending large percentage of their income on healthcare programs making sure that everyone is taken care of in case of illnesses. Some nations are investing enormous amounts of money and very large percentage of their Gross National Product in healthcare, especially in the developed world. In America for instance we are spending $8,600 per capita on healthcare. That’s 17 percent of our GDP.
To put it in perspective, according to Plunkett Research Ltd, China spent on healthcare in 2009 only $19 per capita. My point is that by nature, we in the West are doing all that we can to escape pain and suffering. And we should. This value fueled by our western mindset transcends into our Christian lives as well, to the extend that some versions of theologies look at pain and suffering as punishment and at well-being and riches as God’s favors bestowed on the faithful.
Throughout the Scripture and especially in the New Testament, suffering and persecution was understood to be the norm rather than the exception. The Lord Jesus himself spoke often about suffering and persecution. Just the mentioning of the cross, as an instrument of death and torture thrusts us into the reality of Christ’s suffering and persecution that he had to endure for our sake.
Lately the subject of persecution is becoming a widely used topic by followers of Christ even here in America. Some look in amazement at what’s happening to Christ’s followers who are determined to stand firm in their faith choosing obedience to the Lord rather that giving in to the pressures of the culture that we live in. Others look at persecution as an inevitable reality that the Lord Himself spoke of as recorded in the gospel of John 15:20: “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also”.
It’s coming, or more precisely we should say it’s here. We shouldn’t be surprised by it. The Lord told us it’s going to come. Let’s continue to be faithful in obedience to the Lord’s teachings proclaiming the truth in love and making Chris’s last words our first priority. Let’s continue in Making Disciple Makers in obedience to the Lord.
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Mark Hobafcovich is a Kingdom catalyst, pastor, leader, and author of "Defector: A True Story of Tyranny, Liberty and Purpose" a memoir chronicling his journey to becoming a disciple of Christ inspiring others to live a purposeful life.
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