Easter is fast approaching, the big holiday for Christians. The day we celebrate Jesus being risen from the dead, he defeated the grave. Today at church we had a guest speaker. Pastor Phil Kelley is a former NFL chaplain and an excellent speaker. He preached about the apostle Peter and how he denied Jesus 3 times just as Jesus told him he would. He denied knowing anything about Jesus when questioned. Which got me thinking do we do the same? If we are followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ why are we not talking about him to everyone? Do we deny Him if we are not speaking of Him?
I wish I could say I wouldn’t be like Peter if I were in his shoes. That I wouldn’t deny Christ if I thought my life were on the line. Peter was afraid to admit he knew Jesus even though he loved him so very much. In the early days of the church Christians were persecuted to their death. Today we also face persecution, thankfully in my experience I’ve only been rediculed or given “the look” for my beliefs. I find when I say that something is in God’s hands most people straighten up their posture and agree with me. But I wonder if they are agreeing with me because they don’t want me to think that they aren’t believers.
I was chatting with one of my co workers about our special needs children. I asked my co worker if she ever prayed concerning her 2 special needs sons. It was then that she told me she had been angry at God because of they disabilities her sons have. I honestly didn’t know how to respond to that. I explained that prayer had gotten me through a lot of the trials I’ve had with Thomas. My co worker just listened but didn’t respond that she would pray. She did say that she wasn’t mad at God anymore.
I want to think that I would admit to being a Christ follower if I knew “real” persecution were to follow. I wouldn’t want to deny my Savior after He died the death He did for the sins of the world, for the sins of the very people who were persecuting him, the sins of all of us. My perfect Savior who one day will come again.
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 