Are You Willing?

I know it’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted anything. I guess you could say I hit “writers block” for a while. But here is a blog I started months ago and never finished it till now.... Hopefully I will be able to keep up better with my blogs again! Enjoy! 

A missionary came to my school a couple months ago to share about the intense ministry he is involved in. I remember sitting there fighting back the tears as he expounded on the horrors Christians in Sudan face daily. The men fight, not only to protect themselves, but first and foremost to defend the women and children in their villages. Their enemy is beyond brutal and evil. The missionary shared a few of the gruesome stories with us.... truly hellish situations I don’t even want to repeat. I could not imagine living through what these men face as their normal reality. Their beloved women and children are kidnapped, raped, inhumanely, and brutally murdered right before their eyes. 

And why? Why are these cruelties brought against them?...... 

....All because they bear the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 

Our Americanized Christianity does not even know what it means to suffer like this for the name of Jesus.

The tears escaped and stained my cheeks as the Missionary concluded his message with a video of these heroic soldiers. In each short interview, these men shared heart-gripping testimonies of the miraculous works the Holy Spirit was accomplishing in and through them. I couldn’t help but notice the unexplainable joy they all had pouring out of them. Even through the literal “hell on earth” they are living daily, they are still able to be thankful and joyful. How? How can a man stand up and praise the Lord in all sincerity after watching his wife and kids being ripped out of his hands and ruthlessly killed right in front of him? How can he be strengthen and encouraged through the unbearable emotional pain and physical torture he endures? How could he still hold on to Jesus’ name knowing all he has to do is deny Christ to put an end to the agony? How can these men willingly count it all joy when falling into various trials? (James 1:2)

Because they do not fear man.....

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

~Matthew 10:28~

Because their goal is beyond any earthly pleasures or treasures....

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, 

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”

~Matthew 5:10-12~

And, because they are mighty soldiers..... 

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 

nor angels nor principalities nor powers, 

nor things present nor things to come,

 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, 

Shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in 

Christ Jesus our Lord.”

~Romans 8:37-39~

I remember sitting in my chair after the Missionary exited the stage, wiping the tears from my eyes and watching all my fellow students scatter out the door to make it to classes on time. And that’s when it all settled in.... my first response was frustration. I thought to myself “How could we just move on like nothing ever happened after watching those videos and hearing what that man had to say? What does it take to break these students?!”  

Yet, so often this is our natural response to most of the tragedies we hear about on the news. We’re so quick to shrug our shoulders, dry our eyes, maybe even whisper a short prayer.... then continue on with our lives. We think there’s nothing we could ever do... It’s so unfortunate that we buy into this lie. 

My intent in this post is NOT to point fingers at everyone else. I am, by no means, immune to this problem we’ve adopted into the church today. It bothers me that I, also, am no longer fazed when I hear on the news about another bombing, or another shooting, or another rape, murder, kidnapping.......etc. It’s sickening that these tragic events have become our normality. It’s like we’ve just given up.... 

But why? Why have we become so apathetic to these things? 

My fear for the church is that we’ve become numb and complaisant. We willingly turn a blind eye to what is unfolding in our front yards. We’re trying to run from the inevitable. Is it fear suppressing us? Or is it just pure apathy?

I don’t want to be misunderstood,  I am not saying that we are all called to go out and die for the name of Jesus, or fight like those men are doing. I’m not saying that we are all called to be missionaries to foreign parts of the world, or to live behind bars for the rest of our lives. I am not saying that we are all called to be beaten for our faith or to witness this types of intense persecution.... but what I AM saying is that we, as believers in Christ,  are all called to live for Him... no matter what that means. There is always something we could be doing. We are called “The Body of Christ” for a reason. If we were all doing the same thing, the body wouldn’t work right. Jesus did not save us so we could hide our light and live comfortably in “safe zone.”  The Lord saves us and has blessed us all in unique ways to be used for His glory and honor. 

The question then stands.... the same question I have also been faced with..... are you willing to do whatever it is the Lord is calling you to do? Even IF that means you are called to die for the name of Jesus? Even IF that means you are called to fight, or be a missionary to a foreign country? Even IF that means you are called to be beaten and locked up for the rest of your life? 

Or even if that means you need to love that person you’ve always hated.... or be nice to your siblings even though they purposefully annoy you. Even if that means you need to respect your parents...when they “just don’t understand” or they’re being completely “unreasonable.” Or even if that means giving up your life long plans for God’s plans or giving up that “idol” in your life. 

No matter what it is the Lord is calling you to do.... are you willing? and could you count it all joy?