You can turn on your radio any day and hear Christian stations claiming to be “safe for the whole family.” We know what they mean, but who in the world ever said Christianity was supposed to be safe? Jesus said the exact opposite. He said we shouldn’t be surprised if our faith got us into trouble. The world wasn’t always kind to Him, it won’t always be kind to His followers.
Safety isn’t bad, and Christian parents are often called to protect their children and provide safe environments for their families. But safety can easily become idolatrous if and when it replaces a willingness to follow God’s leading in every area of our lives.
Those who follow God with this radical commitment level will sometimes find themselves persecuted. That is a simple fact of life. Persecution isn’t just something the Church experienced back in the early days, it goes on all the time. There are Christians being imprisoned and killed for their faith, even now. Even in places like the suburbs, society can be somewhat hostile to people who take God seriously. The light of the gospel has broken in, but this world is still a dangerous, unfriendly place that often refuses to treat us kindly.
So how are we to live? Should we just withdraw from society, hole up, hide away and forward a lot of paranoid, Chicken Little, ‘the-sky-is-falling’ emails to one another?
It’s a good thing God doesn’t think the way we think. He saw a world that was hostile toward Him, and His response was to send His Son into that perilous world to die on its behalf. In fact, the whole Bible Story shows us, time and time again, how God calls people out of safety and comfort into places of danger and risk.
How did they survive? Faith was their survival kit.
Faith asks us to face the future with the courageous tenacity to persevere in doing what God has called us to do, looking forward to the fulfilment of God’s promises, regardless of whether or not those promises will be fulfilled in our own lifetimes.
It’s relatively easy to keep the faith, when life’s good. When the sun is shining and you’re in good favour with your boss and your neighbours — well, God is good then. But when your faith gets you in trouble, it’s easy to start wondering about the validity of these outlandish promises God has made. Life on this planet doesn’t always feel like abundant life for even the most passionate Christian.
Still, the promise has been made. Jesus is returning, and when He does, every knee is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that He is Lord and in charge (Phil 2.10-11). He has put His reputation on the line.
One day it will all come full circle, and the hardships we endure now will prove worthwhile (Rom 8.18-25, 2 Cor 4.16-18). That day has yet to arrive, and until it does, we must remain forward-facing, leaning into whatever today holds in store for us, filled with faith in a God who has secured and is preparing for us a future beyond our wildest expectations!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You taught Your followers that they would have tribulation in the world. But You also counselled them to take courage, because You have overcome the world. Just as the world persecuted You, it will persecute us, Your Body, and this is more evident around the world today than ever before. But as Your servant Paul taught, we who are in Christ can exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, proven character and hope that does not disappoint. When we go out as agents of Your Great Commission, we know that in spite of opposition, nothing can thwart Your work. May we learn to mature in faith by trusting You regardless of the consequences we see in this life. We know we are headed for a glorious and eternal future with You that cannot be compared to the temporary results in this world.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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