Suffering for Christ
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Acts 7:57-58, NIV
When Stephen tried to defend himself from false accusations, he was stoned and killed by people. He followed Jesus, yet He didn’t have an easy life. In fact, he was threatened. Stephen went through suffering for preaching the gospel.
In the eyes of the world, what Stephen experienced was a sad story. But God used it to open our eyes about the truth of following Him. We are reminded that doing the works of God is sometimes all about carrying our cross. Stephen’s suffering became a living testimony. His zeal for the gospel could possibly mark our hearts if we only allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us. His actions and the way he responded to people’s cruelty became a vessel of God’s light. He chose to keep his faith despite the pain.
There are days in life when we also go through seasons of suffering and pain. And we can either live in misery or allow God to transform those moments into a powerful testimony. We can dwell in the pain or allow Jesus to move and let His light shine through the cracks and wounds inside.
Prayer: Father God, thank you so much for giving us the chance to honor your Name. I pray that You will remind us to follow your ways, especially when we are in pain. Give us the heart to accept your will and obey your commands. Please give us faith like Stephen who was courageous enough to share Jesus. This we ask, in Jesus Name, we pray, amen.
