Be Steadfast

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Scripture: James 1:12 (NIV)

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Devotion:

            All over the world people are being put through various trials because of their faith in Jesus Christ. James begins his letter with words of encouragement to these suffering saints. Here he promises the crown of life to those who go through trials for Jesus’s sake and come out the other side with their faith in Jesus intact.

            We in the U.S.A. have been very fortunate that for the most part persecution for our faith has been relatively rare and few have had to resist to the point of giving their lives for their faith in Christ. There are still many countries in the world where to be openly Christian can bring imprisonment or even death.

            However, being open about your faith in this country is becoming more dangerous by the day it seems. It is dangerous particularly if you hold a certain set of beliefs. Those being that one believes in the Bible as the infallible, inerrant, and inspired word of God. For someone to seek, on that basis, to follow the teachings of the Bible as written will get one cancelled and shamed publicly.

            What is the reason for this shift in belief about the role of faith in the public square? The answer to be fully explained would take many pages of ink to be spilled. The short version could be summed up in one word, Christians. The very people who are supposed to live out the teachings and commands of the Bible have not been very good examples. Our discipleship has been lacking in zeal and honesty. As a result, the name of Jesus is more often used as a curse word than a word of blessing today.

            What can be done to change the way Christ is perceived in the world today? There is a short one-word answer, repent. We Christians need to turn around and live lives that show the world that Jesus and his followers really have lives that have been changed for the better because of our belief in the savior.

            We will still undergo persecution for our faith. It may take generations to undo the damage that has been done. However, we can cling to the promise from today’s scripture from James. God sees our faithfulness and will reward us when that last day comes, and the books of Judgement are opened. So, we as Christians are to live for Christ in faith, hope, and love until the end of time.

Prayer:

            Lord, help us to endure insults and worse in the name of your son our savior Jesus Christ. Show us how to be more loving and kinder even in the face of discrimination and hatred. May we always seek to bring glory and honor to Jesus' name. Teach us patient endurance until the end of our earthly race. May we set before us the prize of life everlasting with you in heaven. Assist us to bring others to know the wonders of being your people. Amen. 

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