Lens in the Light

Take up your cross and follow HIM

Though the message of forgiveness seemed to be widely received, the disciples constantly encountered criticism and rejection. Besides, they were expelled from the Temple first, followed by arrests, and later mass execution commenced.

Naturally, certain people always wish to enjoy life without being affected by ‘’suffering’’. Such people are hell-bent on enjoying comfortable life without any disturbances, which has become their life motto. Quite interestingly, believers erroneously believe that once one becomes the child of God, suffering has no place in life. In this context, it is pertinent to note that personal views on suffering
have no relevance and importance in Christian life. Moreover, no one enjoys being physically attacked,
mistreated, or persecuted; nobody likes to be rejected or dejected. The severe persecutions the believers
went through in the past were shell shocking to our generations of believers, and the thought of being
brutally beaten or killed in the name of Jesus Christ makes them cringe. In order to beat this, believers must take some fundamental decisions if they follow the Lord Jesus with faithfulness. One of them is the readiness to experience His pain and rejection.

The life of our Lord Jesus Christ was not that rosy in this world, and He reiterated that once you become the followers of Him, suffering will become a part of your life. Our mission in this world is to proclaim the word of God through our lives. Sadly, the everlasting truth is still hidden from the knowledge of millions of people. True Christians are not supposed to lead a worldly life but a Christ-centered life and
proclaim His Word to everyone who is near and dear to us. Once we proclaim God’s word, we will have to face many problems in our life, which may lead to our suffering.

The suffering for this noble cause will be rewarded in Heaven. The life of an honest Christian is not simple as we think. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it has hated me first,” the Lord said (John 15:19): If you belong to the world, it will love you. The world despises you for this reason.

The disciples’ lives were also not rosy for them to live as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though the message of forgiveness seemed to be widely received, the disciples constantly encountered criticism and rejection. Besides, they were expelled from the Temple first, followed by arrests, and later mass execution commenced. Paul, one of the most important church leaders, once described his experiences in the following manner: ‘I endured the forty lashes plus one from the Jews five times. I was shipwrecked three times, beaten with rods three times, stoned once, and spent a night and a day out at sea.’ (2 Corinthians 11:24-25).

Jesus once told his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What will profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26).

DR BINU DANIEL
Dusseldorf, Germany

Dr Binu Daniel is a management consultant, teacher, author, and educationist. He has written numerous
articles in well established English dailies on Economics and Management issues. He lives in Germany with his wife, Reena, and two daughters.