The Fifth Pillar of Discipleship: Willing to Suffer

It’s 7:14, let’s pray. The fifth pillar of the Chinese church is one that we in America know little about. It is the fact that they embrace SUFFERING for the Glory of God. Story after story coming from people that get the opportunity to meet with churches in countries that are truly trying to stop and denounce Christianity – they are growing because they embrace suffering. In Chan’s words, they literally pray for opportunities to suffer for God. In America, we do all we can to avoid anything that is anywhere close to suffering. We pray that God will use us, but to do it in ways where we can be home every night, make every kids event and keep the weather just right on a Sunday so it’s easy to get to church. Brothers and Sisters, I’m certainly not asking any of us to try to do anything that would harm us, but I’m asking us to consider how we truly live our lives so that the world sees that we have given up all we have and all we are to follow Jesus. Our brothers and sisters in lands like China deserve better from us. We think that this past year and a half has been bad, but we have no idea what suffering for Jesus Christ is really like. Let’s pray that God will use us, but if that means that the going is tough for us, we won’t stop, or pray to get out of it, but realize that it is through our suffering and hurting that God can work his greatest work of spreading the gospel through believers that won’t give up or give in to suffering. Let’s pray that this week, we’ll show the world that we can take it.