Persecuted for God

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and say all manner of evil against you, and persecute you falsely, for my sake.

This may sound similar to the previous verse 5:10 When Jesus speaks about being persecuted for righteousness. However in 5:11 it is not only about doing what is right it is about believing in Christ. Jesus blesses those who stand up for his name and defend his will. The courageous who not only are righteous, but do so in the name of Jesus. I say courageous because in so many instances it would just be easier to not say anything about our belief in the lord. Easier to just let Him sit at home than introduce Him to others. God knows that we will be persecuted for our belief in Him, that is why he blesses those who stand up for him.

Reflection

1. Why is it so important to not only be righteous, but to do so in the name of Jesus Christ?
2. Have you ever been in a situation when someone looked at you funny because you believe in Jesus? How did you then react?
3. It can be very daunting to be the only one in a group who has a different opinion. We all want to be accepted and sometimes it may be easier to just keep quiet. But at the end of the day who is it that we are trying to please: our peers or God?

Take the Next Step

God is a loving wonderful God, He blesses those who proudly walk beside Him. There is no need to be combative are argumentative, Jesus says in 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers. But do not be afraid to say you believe in Him. Start small with your best friends. Talk to them about Jesus in your life…maybe they also been afraid to bring up the topic with you.