Yesterday my team and I got to go to a “secret church” meeting where we tried to model what it would be like for our brothers and sisters living in persecution to meet as a church. We got to meet in a small room with candlelight/flashlights, no AC and we “smuggled” our bibles in. Throughout the evening we read the Bible, worshiped God, heard testimonies about Christians in persecution and prayed for those enduring opposition because of the name of Jesus. While we held secret church for only 3.5 hours it is incredibly inspirational to me that many Christians around the world have been beaten, tortured and imprisoned for their belief in Jesus and they worship together in secret. I think that we all can learn from the underground church. We can learn from their dependence on Jesus and their perseverance. We can learn from the faith that continues even though it is tested. We can learn that Jesus is truly all we need and what we should desire the most. We can learn from them that the word of God is so incredibly important because while in the US we may have multiple bibles, many families may not even have their own bible or may only have a part of it in another country.
The truth is is that Jesus told us that we will be persecuted and that we can expect it. And while it might not always be by dying for Jesus, each of us can make a stand for what is right and for truth. Sometimes suffering looks different in the US. It might be small scale and not look like beatings and imprisonment. Instead it might look like standing for what we believe in. Or maybe following what God says to not listen to or watch in spite of what our friends say or think. It might look like wearing modest clothes when society doesn’t understand why. Christians who are persecuted in other countries have always been inspirational to me personally. I hope that when I am faced with persecution that I will be able to stand firm like them with Jesus. Hebrews 13:3 says to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters like we were suffering with them. Please join me in praying for our persecuted church family around the world that they would be comforted with His love and peace and that they would stand firm and persevere in the Lord.
Jesus is worth laying everything down for. Jesus is worth it all. Jesus is worth giving our lives completely surrendered before Him and letting Him direct and use us in His incredible plan. We get to love Him and partner with Him in what He is doing. God invited us to be apart of this plan which is so exciting that He wants to use us. Something that God has been speaking to me about recently was this continued desire to be all in in my pursuit of Him and His Kingdom. That the only life worth living is one where I am fully surrendered to Him, where I die to myself daily and love those in front of me. Where I choose to leave behind my comfort and reach for something better. More of Jesus. And this is the best place to be. Satisfied solely in Jesus and completely in love with who He is. Resting in His presence and letting Him speak life and His love over me His daughter. This is the life I want to live everyday—wherever I am, because Jesus is the only thing worth living for. He is the only one that will satisfy my heart. So if I am in the United States or overseas, may Jesus be the only thing I live for. A life without Jesus is so meaningless and depressing, but a life with Jesus is life giving and beautiful. This is why I want my life to be all in. All in for Jesus and for how He wants to use me. Because only here is where I will be satisfied and I want my whole life, every part of it to be about the bringing Him glory.
If you made it all the way to the end congratulations! I know it was a long post 🙂
