Who is Really Persecuted?

We hear the stories on the news all the time: a Christian family was martyred in this country or imprisoned in another. We know about the organizations to support persecuted Christians who face torture every day. Persecution of Christianity is not a new concept. Even Paul was persecuted in the first century, ending up under the imprisonment of Emperor Nero in Rome which lead to his eventual martyrdom.

But that is only one kind of persecution. We don't really hear of any Christian martyrs in America, or of many Christians being imprisoned in unsanitary conditions. We face a different kind of persecution. This usually is categorized in the emotional side of things rather than the physical. It is important not to excuse these spiritual attacks as insignificant, even though they seem small in light of what other people experience.

The devil’s job on Earth is to come in between Christians and their relationship with God. He has a big toolkit filled with his torture mechanisms and gadgets. In different parts of the world, he uses different tools, and uses them each in a very strategic, skillful, and deceptive way. For us in America, one of the most common tools we observe is isolation. Humans were built for relationships, as God said in the first chapter of Genesis, “It is not good for man to be alone.” This is why he created the female, Eve, and told her and Adam to “fill the Earth and subdue it…” Other gadgets that the devil uses on Western Christians include fear, anxiety, doubt, discouragement, and illnesses. These are the tools that are highly effective on this generation living in this specific part of the world. In other places of the world, Christians experience more physical pain than emotional pain. The torture mechanisms used on them include rape, death camps, bombings, and murder of individuals and their families. Yes, these are horrible things that happen, but we must not simply excuse pain that seems to be of lesser magnitude because we cannot physically feel it happen. Forgetting about the emotional persecution that our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ face risks allowing the devil to continue his work in isolating them to a point that drives them off of a righteous path. Instead, we ought to recognize that Christians in the West do face pain and suffering, certainly a different magnitude of suffering than what others face, but still suffering that we need to come alongside and show them Christ’s encouragement and love. So then what is the application? There are a few:

1. Pray. Pray, pray and do more praying for our fellow brothers and sisters no matter what kind of persecution they face. Trials are difficult for everyone, and one of the most powerful weapons we have is to show our support through prayer.

2. Let them know that you care about what they are going through. Again, this could be through praying for them, sending them a meaningful Bible verse, or some other way. Encouragement counteracts discouragement, so encourage!

3. You can give to organizations that support persecuted Christians in other parts of the world. If donating is something that the Holy Spirit convicts you to do, then go ahead and do it! These organizations are always looking for sponsors.

Overall, let us not forget about any persecution. All trials are significant and are important parts of the testimonies of every Christian who has faced hardships both big and small. Be encouraged when Paul writes in Romans 5:3-5, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."