“He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” –Jim Elliot
My mom recently bought a series of movies about famous Christian martyrs and the work that they did for the kingdom. As we watch the lives and deaths of these people I can’t help but ponder my own faith. These people loved the Lord and were obedient and faithful enough to Him that they ultimately gave all they had: their lives. They lived and then they died for the Lord, dedicating every minute of their lives to the Lord, living in service and obedience to Him. They spent their lives and deaths serving Him with every breath in their bodies. For many this meant, their dying breath was a prayer, a song, a plea to God that brought people to the Lord. John Bunyan once said “If by my life or death I can serve the Lord, I will.”
William Tyndale was burned at stake, Paul was arrested, beaten, stoned and eventually beheaded, Perpetua was mauled by wild animals then killed by the sword in a Roman arena, Eric Liddel died in a prison camp, Peter was crucified, Stephen was stoned, Felix Manz was drowned…the list goes on and on from the Lord’s death down through the years to modern day 2012. The list of Christians who gave up their lives for the Lord is perhaps the longest list in human history. Yearly, even daily, brave men and women are willingly laying down their lives for the sake of the gospel. So we have to ask ourselves..or more to the point, I have to ask myself, if I was faced with the same situation, would I react with the same boldness, courage and breathtaking faith that those martyrs did? How would my faith compare with theirs?
As Christians we are not called to compare our faith to others nor to try and live up to their standards of faith. We are simply called to walk in truth, living with our own measure of faith. However, the question still stands: “if God ever sees fit to place me in that situation and have me suffer, maybe even die for the sake of my faith, will He find me standing strong, or wavering in my faith"?” As Christians we are constantly under attack by Satan. Though he uses different methods of attack for each of us, it is still the same: he is out to destroy our faith and wreck the plan that God has for us. We are called to stand in our faith, unwavering, fighting off the darts of the enemy. If that means standing in the face of suffering or martyrdom, will we prove victorious in that day?
I pray that if ever God sees fit to use my suffering or death for His glory, then I too will stand strong. Let us make this the prayer of our lives, that God will strengthen us and empower us to bear all that He has for us, even if it be suffering or death.
“For the glory of God!”
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