Persecuted Dreams

My dreams last night were not very peaceful.

The entire night was filled with dream after dream of overwhelmingly detailed drama, and I was there, undercover, running, hiding, and witnessing it all. I stayed with a family that was being persecuted and they had very little food, everywhere Christians were being killed for their belief that Christ had come to save us from the sins that the persecutors were committing even then. There were moments when I felt that it was hopeless and that God had no power at all to overcome the darkness. But just because I felt that way didn't make it any less true. God was still sovereign and I clung to the promise that He was going to rescue us from the torment.

This morning, I woke up. And I'm in my own comfortable home, my family won't kill me because I converted, my neighbors aren't going to turn me in, and we can buy food without worrying that it will be our last meal. The government isn't going to send us to a concentration camp and there aren't any killers in town that demand the life of all Christians.

Yet last night, I had a taste of what many thousands of Christians are experiencing around the world, and the feeling still hasn't left me. The feeling that, despite all the incredibly gruesome circumstances, there was a reason that so many held onto their confession. They had surrendered their lives to God and knew that He was far more valuable than anything they could gain on earth. There are real life Christians being persecuted right now, and here I am, comfortable in my own abode.

Suddenly, I begin to understand the verse in Galatians 6:10,

"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

I had always thought it a rather funny verse, because it seems obvious that the household of faith is already taken care of, yet that is my Western perspective seeping through. For me, it's the unbelieving that seem to be the most needy. However, I realize now that back when that was written, the household of faith was perhaps the neediest out there. Not that they lacked the Ultimate Promise of eternal life, but they were beaten, cut in two, torn down and burned.

They needed a little encouragement.

This verse doesn't disregard the need of the unbelieving, poor or rich, but it also points to the importance of encouraging those of the faith that are enduring trial after trial and will perhaps see no relief until they die.

My Mom has always been very up to date with whatever Voice of the Martyrs is doing, and I can see now how wonderfully life-saving that ministry can be. And as Christians, we need to be aware of the suffering that is going on around the world, and more than that, we need to pray and see is when we have the opportunity to do good to the household of faith. If you're not aware of what Voice of the Martyrs does, or want to see how you can pray or donate, I encourage you to check out their website, which is linked right here.  We can't be ignorant of the sufferings of the body...if your leg hurt, you'd probably want to do something about it, wouldn't you?