Suffering For Righteousness Sake

 Nobody wants to endure suffering, pain, or persecution. None of us like it when we are disparaged or denigrated by friends or acquaintances.
 Which of us sees insults as blessings or wounds as marks of beauty? Who would think the way up is down – or losing one’s life is the only way to save it? To consider the reviling of others to be a blessing appears to be an oxymoron, but God’s economy is diametrically opposite from man’s logic, for the wisdom of man is foolishness to Him.
 Suffering For Righteousness Sake is an indication that the Spirit of Christ rests upon us.
 Should we not consider it our greatest privilege to be insulted for Him? Should we not reckon it an honor to participate in His reproach? Should we not identify with Christ as partners in His suffering and rejoice since we are partakers in His humiliation?
 Although we do not glorify God FOR the suffering we have to endure, we ought to glorify God IN our suffering and we should glorify Him for all that He will accomplish THROUGH our pain and persecution. Those of us that do are blessed.
 What a joy to know that the suffering and insults we take on behalf of Christ are, in fact, a blessing given to us from above because the Glory of God rests upon us. May we look to Jesus and away from the world, and may the Word of Christ dwell in us richly so that the ungodly mindset of the world will be diminished.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that Christ identified with us so that we can be identified with Him. If, by identifying with Him and lifting His name high we suffer, may we not be ashamed but count it as a blessing. We want to know Him more, to know the power of His Resurrection, and to participate in His sufferings so that we may become more like Him in His death. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN.