Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

The entire book of Acts is exactly what its name implies: A collection of important events that shaped the early church as Christians, through trial and error along with the faithfulness and guidance of the Father, began to spread the Gospel throughout the world around them. The pace at which the author tells these stories is brisk, to say the least. He seems to spend less time on intricate details and more time hitting the high points. Nevertheless, there are passages in the book of Acts in which the author seems to take the “extra step” to emphasize a point. One of these passages is found in chapter 5, verses 40-42.

“So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” Acts 5:41

The men and women who first worked to establish Christ’s church faced hardship, persecution, and humiliation, unlike anything we could ever imagine, from both Gentiles and Jews alike. Yet, we see over and over from the Book of Acts through the Book of Revelation Christians suffering gladly. They echoed the words of Christ in Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and again in John 15:19, “But I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” The people referred to in this section of scripture (a group of believers led by Peter) had been in constant opposition to the Sadducees, who wanted to squash the ideas of Christ. They had just been imprisoned, then were broken out of prison by an angel of the Lord, only soon after to be captured again and beaten at the hands of the religious leaders. Yet, through their suffering, they glorified the Lord. What a humble heart one must have to look death and torture in the face only to submit their lives gladly as a sacrifice to the Lord.

Although our suffering may not seem nearly as dire, we still face the world in a similar manner today. Perspective and frame of mind make all the difference. I grew up in what was a seemingly Christ-centered home with both parents until the age of eleven when - shortly after I received salvation - all that was normal for me was flipped upside down. The next six years of my life were spent in and out of divorce court. We moved homes and schools, and money was scarce. Through all of that pain and stress, the Lord was faithful. He placed people in my life who mentored me, and I thank God for every fragment of knowledge, wisdom, and perspective I gained from that time. My marriage thrives and my parenting skills are refined because of that time of my life. I tell my wife regularly that I would go through every second of that chaos a thousand times just so I could be where I am now with the family and friends the Lord gave me along the way.

Whether you’re a missionary staring mortality in the face as you work out your faith or just simply trying to make it through the week with your faith intact, the Lord is faithful. There are opportunities every day to exhibit the love and graciousness of our Father to those around us. In nearly all cases, serving the Lord in this capacity comes at a cost either mentally or physically. Every one of us can think of a time in our lives when the Lord has “chosen us” to go up against the world. After all, the very nature of Christianity is countercultural at its most basic principles. The world, as daunting, hurtful, and difficult as it is to face, is no match for our God. Through Him, we can manifest the strength and purpose needed to overcome the world’s barriers on the path that the Lord has set out before us. A word to remember is that life often moves cyclically from peaks to valleys. When we find ourselves in the valleys, it’s vital that we source our resiliency from the Lord and find reasons to be thankful every day, even for the suffering.

Prayer: Father, we praise You for Your faithfulness even when we are faithless. We praise You for who You are. You are the God who fulfills His promises and never forsakes His children. Remind us daily that we are Your chosen. Create in us pure hearts that we may worship You in spirit and truth even as the world presses us on every side. Thank You for Your grace and mercy.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
  
• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
  
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
  
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
  
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.