“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” I Pet. 4:14. Society increasingly views Christians with suspicion. In some places Christians are respected but in others they experience outright hostility and prejudice. Many Christians experience discrimination in their workplace because of their faith. Of course, this is very sad since most of what is good in America came through Christianity (and all good things come from God.) But we can look to the benefits of persecution.
It is encouraging to remember that God blesses us when we are rejected for Christ. In fact, this passage promises that just the fact that you are insulted brings you the benefits of persecution, blessings from God. Also, the glorious Spirit of God rests on you, which is a treasure that far surpasses anything you have lost in your suffering. We do not need any earthly blessings to compensate us for persecution; we have God’s Spirit who is the down payment on our eternal happiness. This passage reminds us of Jesus’ promise:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12, NIV)
So rejection by others is actually a confirmation that you are favored by God and you will have the benefits of persecution, and for this you can rejoice!
Are you persecuted in any way? Are you neglected or outcast because you are a Christian? Consider how good your blessing will be, since it is a blessing from God who made the whole universe!
