Daily Devo: Persecution That Backfired

Reading another Our Daily Bread.

I learned something new about the persecution of the early church.

I had a lunch a few weeks ago with someone who felt that the American “church” had it so good that we are losing what it really means to be Christian. I tend to agree, but I also think we suffer a different persecution: ambivalence.

There is so many do’s and don’ts in our current society that it can cause fear, confusion, distraction, and diversion. I mean, when do we actually stop talking about doing something and actually do it, bold and confident, and not concerned about upsetting another “believer” in our efforts to love someone.

Granted, there are plenty of examples of doing something wrong in the name of Christ, but are those merely easy hurdles to keep us from doing the many “mundane” actions that would show others we love them only because we don’t have any fear anymore? That’s the kind of persecution we’re under. It’s elusive, it’s fuzzy, it’s a perfect ploy, and it works on me all the time.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for securing my future. Help me to live in that reality and love others, especially when its a hard, scary thought.

Author: Brett Veenstra | Category: Disciple | Comments(0) August 2006