Would You?

      I read a story, an autobiography actually, that my husband let me borrow when we first started dating, I've read it several times now and think about it often. It was written by a man under Soviet rule during the Cold War who was imprisoned for his faith. He was tortured and had vile acts committed against him, but would not renounce God. Eventually, after several years he was set free and I'm honestly not sure what happened from there because the book was published in the 1960's and I never thought until this moment to look into what happened to him since the book was written, but I brought up this man, and the torture he endured because I find myself asking a very intense question, "Am I willing to endure suffering for Christ?"
     As a citizen of the United States I am promised religious freedom, and the threat of being tortured like the man I mentioned above has never been too real for me. The worst I have had to face is rejection from my peers, resentment from some people, and sometimes pretty nasty name calling. But torture is not something I have had to face. Its not something I have thought about facing in this country, but this thought keeps echoing in my mind lately especially with the stories that I have seen in the news, am I willing to endure for Christ as he endured for me?
      I think this is a question all believers get to at some point or another. The first questions I asked myself in this walk of faith were easy, do you love Jesus? Do you accept him as your Lord and savior? Are you willing to serve him? Are you willing to be hated? This things were easy to answer, for me anyway, loving Him and believing in Yeshua as my Savior check and check, serving Him in God's will, often pretty hard but I try, being hated? No biggy, people have always hated me and looked down on me. But am I willing to suffer, to endure physical pain or emotional trauma?
      When I truly think about that word, when I think about what others have endured for the name of Jesus my heart cries, 'yes Lord I will suffer for you,' but my mind fears, and my flesh is weak. I hate pain so I doubt myself, because I have not faced suffering of this kind I can not honestly answer but I keep asking and thinking about it.
       I'm not writing any of this to brag, I'm not writing to confess my fears either, I'm writing this to make you think. Christianity in many places has become watered down, we have lost in the compliancy of our so called 'religious freedoms' what it really means to believe in Jesus and follow after Him. We talk about God's love and deeds, and we ask for miracles and blessings, but is our heart really in it? Are you willing to suffer for your God? I don't ask you if you are willing to die because death is easy, I ask about suffering because it is hard.
       I know this is pretty different from most of my writings, but I think it is important. We all know that this world won't last forever in its current state, and with each passing year it becomes worse, more corrupt. We were told to be watchful and wait in readiness for Yeshua's return, to take up the cross daily and follow Him. The Lord God, knows our hearts, and to serve Him we must give our hearts, and our selves to Him fully. So, I am asking you to think and pray. What are you willing to endure for Christ? How true is your love? If the tribulation started today would you still want to be a Christian? Would you pick up your cross and walk with Him anyway? Ask yourself, and if you feel the same doubts, fears and uncertainty that I do in the face of these hard questions, take it to the Father, read His word and decide for yourself what is important.

Luke 9:23-27

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”