“But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him. But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:8-10
“It is worthwhile following the Lord, to be faithful to Him in every moment, to give up everything for His sake, to set no limit to our generosity where He is concerned… We should not forget that, to the reward He promises, our Lord adds persecutions. Persecutions are also a reward for the disciples of Christ. It is the disciple’s glory to imitate His Master, to suffer with Him in order that he may may also be glorified with him. These trials can come in the most diverse of forms: bloody persecution, slander, prejudice, job discrimination, mockery… we should, when they come, grasp the fact that we can turn them to good, which is part of our reward, since God allows us to share in His cross and be more closely united to Him.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 444-445.
When we give our lives in service to our Lord, one of the benefits we receive is persecution.
I am learning in real-time the gift of sharing in the cross of Christ. It’s hard. It’s not right. But I am seeing character come out in the lives of people that can only appears as gold from a refiner’s fire.
The world has started to convene for GTP meetings in Istanbul, but not everyone has been able to come.
Workers from many countries, which will remain unnamed, could not get visas to attend. I see injustice and discrimination, and yet I witness the humility with which many faithful disciples suffer.
It reveals to me an area for growth in my own faith and the limits to my own generosity needing removal.
If you lived in a place where the Lord and His hand cannot be seen or found in the north, south, east, or west, would your way stand the test. It’s easy settings like USA, though the persecution has started.
Today, I challenge you to locate your limits. What are you willing to give or endure for the Lord?
Then ponder what needs to change so that you identify with Christ through solidarity with those who suffer war, injustice, slander, prejudice, and other pain.
For me, I sense a call to respond to calls to multiply stewards in places like Pakistan, Nepal, and India.
I believe, in so doing, their lives will teach me things I could never learn anywhere else about the blessing of the refining fire of suffering. With what suffering persons can you identify with solidarity?