Critical Persecution

As Christians, we can expect persecution. Many times this can manifest itself from non Christians who hate us, revile us, or despise us because of our association with our Lord Jesus Christ. The results can range and vary from physical, verbal, or any other type of pain or affliction that can be put upon a believer.

However sometimes this persecution or criticism may not be limited to non Christians. Sometimes we must endure criticism not from those non associated with Christ but from our own brothers and sisters.

There may be times that the Lord puts something into ones heart that is not rational in the minds of people. It is critical that this person must be certain that it is from the Lord, but when things like this occur it can be thought of in a few ways.

God may want to test the fact that there are no other idols above Him in ones life. As the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard defined sin as this: Sin is building your identity on anything but God. An idol in a free broad sense is then other things that we build upon our identity that are not God.

An example of this is our careers. A career and giving attention to a career is not necessarily a bad thing. However, when a career starts to consume a person and their time allotment, energy, and everything one has goes toward a career how can one argue that that isn't number 1 in a person's life instead of God?

Physical fitness is certainly not a bad thing. Staying in shape is not an objectively immoral thing at all. However when one starts to focus so wholly on going to the gym, needing to go, and all their resources start to slowly allign to it, one may not realize but he or she is worshipping the beauty goddess of Aprhodite. That person may not be bowing down in front of a gold statue idol but in that persons heart that is what the individual is doing.

Idols can be anything: respect, love from others, or anything your heart can imagine. That's why there were so many idols within Greco and Roman culture.

So how does this relate to unwarranted criticism coming one's way? For many Christians, receiving respect or praise from one another is an idol.

When criticism comes, it throws people off. God can and sometimes will test ones faith because He knows that we are social beings who crave respect, acceptance, etc. But when that starts to become in a dangerous area almost promoting itself above God, then God must be merciful to use this for our own good. Thus because He loves us may send criticism our way from maybe possibly those we love very much.

The question or testing is merely this: Do we do things for God and Him solely alone? Or do we serve the Lord because we get respect, love, and affirmation of our fellow believers.

The Bible gives us instruction regarding criticism coming our way because it can happen. Mathew 5:11-12 states,"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, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Sometimes people may accuse a person of being too stubborn, prideful, or whatever may be the accusation in terms of a situation. Brothers and sisters that a person loves may say various colorful and not so nice things against that individual.

This is not to justify if the person is being blinded by their own thoughts and wisdom. Hence this must be taken into account as well. However, when one knows the decision is from God and that He wanted this, then the verbal and criticism persecution may come.

When critical persecution happens, God and God alone is our justifer in all things. In His timing all things will be made correct. Until then what a person knows deep in their heart and knowing that God knows can and should be more than enough to endure critical persecution and pressure. Regardless just as stormy seas make skillful sailors, high critical pressure and refinement makes believers come out as diamonds.