Readings for today: 1 Kings 1, Acts 4, Psalms 124, Proverbs 16:24
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11)
Something very powerful takes place when we share in the sufferings of Christ. The Apostle Paul experienced it as did the Apostles Peter and John and the new believers in Jerusalem. Christians throughout the ages have experienced it in places like Russia, China, and Ethiopia. I have had the privilege of meeting many of them. Over the past ten years I have personally trained hundreds of church planters in the Horn of Africa. Many of them bear on their bodies the scars of the persecution they face on a daily basis. They’ve been threatened. Beaten. Shot. Stabbed. Imprisoned. Some of them have even died in the field. And still they go. When I ask them how I can pray over them, they never ask for personal safety but always for boldness to preach the gospel in the face of the opposition. It is deeply humbling and inspiring.
I think about these men and women when I read Acts 4. I love the boldness of those first believers. Peter and John are arrested, imprisoned, and tried for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. They were not among the elite. They had no wealth. No power. No education. They were just ordinary men whom God used to proclaim an extraordinary message. The gospel stirred up the city - as it always does - and threatened those in power - as it always does. So Peter and John were threatened. I imagine they were roughed up a bit as well. But they return home praising God for the opportunity to share in the sufferings of Christ. They shared all that happened with their friends and went to prayer. They praised God for the persecution. Praised God for His sovereign will and plan. Praised God for the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. And they prayed for even more boldness. Even more courage. Even more strength to go forth and share. And God answered their prayers. The room in which they were praying began to shake as they were filled with the Holy Spirit and the gospel went forth with even more power from that day.
What do you pray for when you come against opposition? What do you pray for when you experience suffering and hardship? What do you pray for when you are in pain? For most of us, I imagine we pray for relief. Healing. Safety. Comfort. These are not necessarily bad things to pray for but they certainly are not the most important things. The Apostle Paul experienced all these things and more in his life. He was mistreated, abused, left for dead. He gave up his home. His family. His livelihood. He sacrificed everything for the sake of knowing and serving Christ. And what did he gain in return? Christ. Peter and John and the early believers made similar sacrifices. They considered everything “rubbish” when compared to knowing and serving Christ. And what did they gain in return? Christ. What if - instead of safety and security - you prayed for boldness? What if - instead of comfort and peace - you prayed for courage? What if - instead of provision and protection - you prayed for God to use all that you are and all that you have for His Kingdom work in this world? What would your life look like if God were to answer such a prayer?
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 2:1-3:2, Acts 5, Psalms 125, Proverbs 16:25