Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
The persecution here spoken of must be on account of righteousness, for any effort on our part to live in accordance with godly principles will sometimes be met with opposition and abuse, because the carnal heart is at enmity with God, and the presence of righteousness tends to stir up evil in hearts that are averse to God. That's one of the reasons why Christ cautions us not to think that Christianity is a bed of roses, neither should we be deceived into thinking that satan will leave us alone to live happily ever after, when we have given our lives to The Lord. These words of admonition pertaining to the warfare we are all involved with, is written in many Passages of scripture so that we may be aware of the nature of the conflict. Let's read:
Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
2nd Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
However, the response to this persecution should not be a "Why me" attitude where we may sometimes blow our troubles out of proportion, but the response should rather be one of joy and praise in that we were privileged to suffer with Christ for the advancement of His kingdom, and the principles and truths for which it stands. We are never to invite persecution, neither should we be looking forward to it with excitement, however, whenever it comes our way, we should understand that it's just a part of the Christian warfare, and as such, the final victory which will be ours, should trump whatever persecution is meted out to us. This is what the disciples of Christ did after they were beaten for preaching the gospel. Let's read:
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said" ...... 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them".... "And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
In this instance the persecution of the disciples was taken as an incentive to preach even more, instead of it being a deterrent, as the council members had thought. There are times in our experience as Christians when we will be mocked at or made the subject of jokes and derision on account of our peculiar faith. I was one day on my way to the car auction to repair a vehicle on the premises for a car dealer, when a conversation about God and Christianity developed. After relating the reasons why I believe in Jesus, I could sense an air of ridicule and alienation from the person's response, who asked me if the whole experience with Christ makes any sense.
However, once we arrived at the auction, I immediately set about repairing his vehicle, when the Lord spoke clearly in my mind, warning me to get out from under the vehicle, which I did right away. I was scarcely out when the jack we were using completely collapsed, and the experience could have been fatal since the chassis of the car was only a couple inches from my forehead. When the man saw the deliverance God granted me, his sarcasm ceased and we were able to continue talking excitedly about Christ, because he knew that the day's experience could have ended both our careers.
Whenever we are reproached or persecuted for righteousness sake, let us remember the example of Christ and the early disciples who endured the assaults of the enemy by trusting in God and focusing on eternal realities, which puts persecution into its right perspective. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reflects the mindset we should harbor towards affliction of any kind, for the kingdom of God is not only about blessings and praises, but also includes suffering for righteousness sake, which should bring joy to our hearts, not tears to our eyes. Let's read:
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Let this mind be in us also, because our light affliction will result in an overwhelming reward of immortal glory, given to all who suffer persecution for righteousness sake. God bless!