Suffering For the Gospel

So don't be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prosumer. Instead share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. 2 Tim 1:8

The Jewish belief that bad things happen to bad people may have been something Timothy had to deal with, even though he was not a Jew, he was raised a believer and spent most of his life working as a missionary with Paul. His mentor is now in jail, is his his end? Perhaps Greek culture also believed bad stuff happen to bad people.

However, there is a mistaken belief in Christendom that all will be roses in Christ and if it is not we turn our backs and walk. I don't know how it came to pass but Jesus Himself told us to pick up our cross and follow Him. The cross of each will look different across the body of Christ.

Abraham believed in a future city, he believed God's word about having a son and that did not happen until he was 100; Jacob believed that if he worked for his uncle for seven years he would be able to marry Rachel but got Leah and had to work another seven; Joseph was sold into slavery; Moses spent forty years in the backside of the desert learning to be a leader then when he became a leader he had to lead a bunch of rebels; Daniel spent all of his adult life in captivity; David was anointed king but became fugitive for 30 years; Jesus spent 30 years in obscurity and when He was revealed and honoured by His father He was rejected by those He came to save. Getting the picture?

Paul was shown what he would suffer by the Lord and he did suffer. He may well have thought he deserved to suffer after persecuting the early Christian believers, yet not all who suffer necessarily 'deserve' to suffer.

Suffering is a part of life, but we are promised to have a comforter throughout, praise Him! Taking up our cross may be slight or serious but God is for us, who is it who is against us? Amen!