And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
(1 Peter 5:10)
Have you been in a situation where after you finally decided to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, surrendering your life and receiving Him in faith as Lord and Saviour, you suddenly faced tremendous trials?
I know of many who after gaining their new-found faith faced trials in many forms. They experienced rejection from family and friends. Some suffered financial losses, lost a job, relationship conflicts, sickness or even death of loved ones.
Suffering for your Christian faith happens in every situation and location
It’s understandable and expected that a Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim who becomes a Christian will certainly suffer persecution, oftentimes severely. I read and learn about the persecuted church through Open Doors.
How about when you are living in a nominal Christian family and community and then you discovered Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
For sure you will suffer from isolation, not primarily because the nominal Christian environment you are in will reject you. Your renewed relationship with Christ will lead you to thirst for more knowledge of your Saviour.
As a true disciple of Jesus Christ your focus now is how to strengthen that relationship. Eventually, you will find yourself avoiding the people and environment that would take you back to your former nominal Christian living.
Would you believe that your most painful persecution could come from within the Christian community or environment?
It’s when you thought that the Christians around you would stand for what is right and just and you found yourself all alone making a stand.
Worst, the Christian leaders whom you expected to take the lead have become accessories to the wiles of the unjust.
The scorn and insult would become inevitable when after you have settled in your heart that you will trust Jesus Christ alone, follow Him in baptism, and commit your life, your family to serve Him each day, something untoward happened unexpectedly.
Perseverance in faith brings freedom, happiness and joy
When you are facing debilitating trials, read and remember the story of Job. Despite suffering from severe trials, he remained steadfast in faith. Read how Job persevered and gained God’s restoration.
Yes, Christians are called to persevere, especially when our faith is under trial.
Keep holding on to your faith no matter what happens. When you persevere, you will witness God’s amazing power sustaining your life along the way. Then when you have overcome, you will find peace and happiness that you have never experienced before.
Starting your new life in Jesus Christ could place you in lots of challenges but persevering in your new found faith means a life of freedom and victory.
Just come to Him in prayer. Hold on to Jesus, He’s always there. Trust His word, He loves you always now.
