I am thankful to be an American. It is a great blessing to know that we have freedom of religion. We can worship and serve our God in the way we choose without fear of persecution. There are many brothers and sisters in Christ who do not share those same freedoms, and face great danger because of their faith. These persecuted Christians are incredible examples of courage, and they are to be admired for their bold witness. Living out their faith comes at a great cost – jobs, family, freedom, and even their lives!
There is no denying the irony how Christians who face great persecution, often live out their faith with great boldness. Opposite, Christians who face little persecution, often live out their faith with great reluctance. The places in the world where the Christian faith is growing the fastest are the places where persecution is the greatest. The places where the faith is on the decline are the places where it costs the least to live out faith. Maybe the secret to revival in America is greater persecution of Christians.
In America, there are certain topics of conversation that people like to avoid. Politics and religion are two of those topics. Discussing these things can quickly lead to heated exchanges. Many of us dislike confrontation, so we avoid the topics altogether. It becomes a bit faux pas to bring the subjects up.
The reality is that faith is not something to keep private. Faith informs everything about us. It impacts every decision we make. It affects how we spend our money, who we marry, and how we raise our children. It is impossible to live out your faith and to hide it. Your faith, or lack thereof, will come out by the life you live.
Maybe the reason we are so reluctant to live out our faith is because our faith is not in God. We put on our money “In God We Trust.” I always found that to be a bit ironic, because more often than not we trust in our money more than we trust in God. If we truly trusted in God we would use our money in a very different way. If we truly trusted in God we would not be so reluctant to live out our faith. If we truly trusted God we would simply take him at his word without question. If we truly trusted in God we would not be able to hide it.
Jesus speaks about this:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Matthew 5:14–15 (ESV)
You can’t help but notice light in the darkness. It’s not that you need to thump people over the head with the Bible. It is not about standing on a street corner with a megaphone telling people to repent. To authentically live out our faith will cause it to spill out. It is impossible to hide it when it is real. There is something about a person of faith that makes them different.
We see this in Jesus. You could not help but notice the power of God at work in him when he walked this earth. People from all walks of life were drawn to him. People would travel many miles by foot just to see him and hear him. There was something about him that you could not help but notice. In the same way, when the Spirit of God is at work in you, people will not be able to miss it.
Questions for Reflection
- How can we help support persecuted Christians?
- Why do you think many Christians in America are reluctant to live out their faith?
- How can you live out your faith in a more authentic way?
- Share your comments.
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