Acts 5:33 – 6:15
The council… called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.
Suffering dishonor (especially by flogging) is not something I typically value or aspire to. I suspect that I’m not alone. In fact, throughout America and, perhaps, within our own hearts, there are many places where we can hear the message that if we have enough faith everything will work out well for us; we won't have to suffer.
The apostles were full of faith and went out boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the Savior of the world. They were jailed, flogged, scolded,… and eventually killed. But did you hear what they said? They rejoiced not because God removed all trials and hardships from them, but because he counted them worthy to suffer.
They believed God had an incredible plan. They were convinced that there was no hope apart from Jesus. They knew that the Gospel itself is the power of God to change lives. And they believed that their difficult circumstances were another opportunity for God to do incredible things. Whether they were set free, whether they were beaten unjustly, whether they were martyred, they were looking forward to God being glorified by their lives. Whatever the circumstances, they were trusting God to use their lives and their experiences to bring the Gospel to hearts that still desperately needed it.
What circumstances are we facing today? Let’s follow the example of the apostles and trust God to use both our joys and our hardships to bring the Gospel further than it was before. And let’s pray for a faith that’s not measured or limited by the outcome of our circumstances, but a faith that’s an unmistakable testimony to our great God in the midst of whatever circumstances we face.
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1 comment:
Thank you, Brian, for this reminder. There was a time when I thought a Christian should expect smooth sailing. Some of the songs we sang in church seemed to support that notion. I heard the word "happy" a lot more than words like "persevere" and "hardship." So I tried to keep my suffering to myself. To acknowledge that I was hurting would mean either that I wasn't hearing my Shepherd's voice or, worse still, that He wasn't doing His part. I didn't want to dishonor God, so I didn't admit the trials. I was being dishonest. Now, I see the church as a hospital. We all are in pain of some kind. Yet, we all are meant to be "wounded healers." Second Corinthians, chapter 1, addresses suffering for Christ. It says that our merciful Father is the source of all comfort. "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." I pray that we at Bethesda may become a people honest about our needs, and eager to minister to those around us who are hurting.
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