No Matter the Cost —Two2Grow, July 5
No Matter the Cost—Two2Grow, July 5
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5:41-42 NIV
A post by Josephine Stenhammar
Following Jesus means suffering will come.
God is filling us with the Holy Spirit and empowering us to live in this world and to love the people in it. However, this world is fallen, and sin still reigns. When we shine and carry the life of God, darkness will not appreciate it. We will face persecution, and we will suffer for Jesus.
The apostles were put in prison and flogged because of Jesus. What was their reaction? They rejoiced because they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Their lives and their love were so devoted to Jesus that he was all that mattered to them.
When we place all our lives on the altar and truly devote ourselves to God, suffering for Jesus becomes an honor and trials something in which we find joy (James 1:2-4). And, as we see in Acts, the apostles’ hardships did not hinder them from continuing to preach and spread the gospel.
When we go through hardship, we should not fall into the temptation of stopping the work of God and sitting in a corner feeling sorry for ourselves; instead, through the strength of the Spirit, we should rejoice and continue to eagerly serve the Lord.
So let us continue to follow Jesus, no matter the cost, because we know that when people hate us, exclude us, insult us, and reject our names as evil because of Jesus, then we have reason to leap for joy, because we are blessed and our reward in heaven is great (Luke 6:22).
Lord Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me even when it cost you all. I want to give you everything, all my life. I want to follow you no matter the cost. Help me to rejoice amid suffering and persecution. May all my life bring you glory. Amen
A post by Josephine Stenhammar
Following Jesus means suffering will come.
God is filling us with the Holy Spirit and empowering us to live in this world and to love the people in it. However, this world is fallen, and sin still reigns. When we shine and carry the life of God, darkness will not appreciate it. We will face persecution, and we will suffer for Jesus.
The apostles were put in prison and flogged because of Jesus. What was their reaction? They rejoiced because they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Their lives and their love were so devoted to Jesus that he was all that mattered to them.
When we place all our lives on the altar and truly devote ourselves to God, suffering for Jesus becomes an honor and trials something in which we find joy (James 1:2-4). And, as we see in Acts, the apostles’ hardships did not hinder them from continuing to preach and spread the gospel.
When we go through hardship, we should not fall into the temptation of stopping the work of God and sitting in a corner feeling sorry for ourselves; instead, through the strength of the Spirit, we should rejoice and continue to eagerly serve the Lord.
So let us continue to follow Jesus, no matter the cost, because we know that when people hate us, exclude us, insult us, and reject our names as evil because of Jesus, then we have reason to leap for joy, because we are blessed and our reward in heaven is great (Luke 6:22).
Lord Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me even when it cost you all. I want to give you everything, all my life. I want to follow you no matter the cost. Help me to rejoice amid suffering and persecution. May all my life bring you glory. Amen