meant for courage in His name

There's this thing about courage.

Courage isn't not being afraid. It's not laughing in the face of danger or breezing through all of life's difficulties without batting an eye. Courage is seeing that something is difficult, or frightening, or even dangerous, and choosing to do it anyway.

(Disclaimer: this is NOT to be confused with stupidity, such as: seeing that it is dangerous to tie an inner tube to a car during a small flood and tube surfing down main street, and choosing to do it anyway.)

Courage is taking a deep breath, and then taking that first step.

Being a Christian takes courage. Choosing to live in the name of Christ and doing your best to embody that in your every action, word, and breath takes courage. There are many people, here in America, who would read that today and say, "Courage? Ha! You're kidding? Christianity is, like, the dominating religion in America. How does THAT take courage?" This is exactly why it takes courage.

It takes courage because people think it's so easy, that it takes hardly an effort. It takes courage because there are people out there doing unspeakable things in the Lord's name, and there are others still who see this and take it to be what Christianity is about. Being a Christian takes courage because it's then our  responsibility, as Christians, to show people everywhere what it really is about.

Some people take this challenge up wholeheartedly; the Voice of the Martyrs foundation is an outstanding example (They're quite amazing. Check them out at: Persecution.com). Others, like myself, strive to do this to the best of our ability, in whatever small ways we can. Still more will interpret this message, this challenge, in another way entirely, possibly twist it around (with or without meaning to), and put the cycle back where it began.

We shouldn't be surprised though. After all, we were told ahead of time -- WAY ahead of time -- that being a Christian wasn't going to be easy. See Mark 13: 9-13 for reference:

"(9) You must watch our for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as witness to them. (10) First the gospel must be breached in all nations. (11) When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (12) Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death. (13) You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

Personally, for me, it's Mark 13: 12-13 that really hits home every time I read this passage. I often find it sticking in the back of my mind when thinking of the world today in relation to Christianity. Overseas, there are people who live out these words down tot he punctuation. They're told that if they live for Christ and refuse to renounce Him they'll be thrown in jail, or they'll be killed and their family will be thrown to the streets or in jail themselves. Still, they do not renounce Him. Often times, they die martyrs. (Again, these stories are incredible. Read Voice of the Martyrs' book, "Jesus Freaks," for some of the most amazing, awe-inspiring stories of martyrs in today's world that you will have never been able to imagine.)

Here in America it is certainly a bit easier to be a Christian. It's not illegal (yet), nobody is going to throw us in jail for loving the Lord and preaching Christ's words (as long as you're not doing it in school). There is still persecution of Christians to a certain degree, but only in the same way that other social issues are persecuted, such as racism and gay marriage. For the most part, as Christians, we definitely have our freedom here in America.

It's up to us to decide what to do with it.




Prayer Requests:
For those persecuted Christians overseas, that they may live strong in the Lord's name, and that their families may live strong, and that their captors and persecutors might find their way to Jesus through the very people they mock.