“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” (Mt. 5:10-12 NLT). There will be times when you are persecuted just for being good. This may happen at your job or school or even at home if people are hostile to God. Some people just don’t like the presence of someone who is good because it just highlights their corruption.
In the ninth beatitude, Jesus provides amazing encouragement to those who are persecuted. You will have a great reward in heaven! It is important to take a little time and think about this. It is a reward from God for eternity. Therefore, it will obviously be much more valuable than anything you could lose on earth, through persecution or otherwise. Many believers are marginalized in their workplace because of their faith and lifestyle; some are outcasts or scapegoats. This is very painful, but if we can keep Jesus’ promise in the forefront of our minds we can be thankful even when we are persecuted.
Are you persecuted or deprived in any way because of your faith or righteous living? How do you respond to that? Are you able to be thankful even in the midst of the pain?
