Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11-12 NKJV
If you are doing your best to live out Ephesians 5:1-2 and be an imitator of God as one of His dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given Himself for us, you can bet you will be persecuted. There will be evil people out there who are waiting and watching to prove you are faking your Christianity. They will closely monitor the way you talk and the way you walk and will be looking for an excuse to say, “And you call yourself a Christian?” Perhaps, like me, you’ve been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.
There will be evil people who will pretend to be sweet, and innocent and they will come against you and do their best to destroy your witness. There will be followers of these evil people who don’t know the truth or what is really going on. People will be deceived into thinking you are the bad guy. Before you know it, the evil person becomes the victim, and you become the villain. It’s frustrating when things like this happen, but they do happen. Why? Because we live in an imperfect sin-filled world. We live with people who do their best to fill that void in their lives with worldly things like money, sex, drugs, and alcohol. People are greedy and selfish, and this will only get worse in these end times (2 Timothy 3:1-6).
What’s a Christian to do? Well, I’m glad you asked because there is an answer to this in the Bible. We are clearly told in Psalm 37:1-2 not to fret evildoers or be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like grass, and wither as the green herb. In the two verses that follow we are encouraged to trust in the Lord and delight ourselves in Him.
As Christians, we are being watched. We are being judged and sadly by some who don’t know the whole story or some who may believe lies being told about us, but that’s okay. God has this. He will take good care of us. We just need to keep calm and continue seeking Him and His righteousness in all we do (Matthew 6:33). We need to continue loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind and loving others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). And most importantly focus on His word not on the lies being told about you.
The Bible tells us in numerous passages that we will face trials and tribulations for our faith. We are to expect this. It also tells us He will be with us. We are told in Isaiah 41:11, “Behold all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.”
If you are saved and doing your best to love and serve the Lord and others, don’t let the devil’s lies distract you. Keep your chin up and keep going forward. Keep doing what God has called you to do. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
The persecution we face is just a speed bump in the road of life. Don’t let it stop you and don’t let it get you down. You know the truth and God knows the truth and that’s all that matters. Focus on Him and not the lies and your reward will be great in heaven. The troubles we face on earth are just temporary. The rewards we receive in heaven are for eternity.
Have a great day!