Do Not Be AshamedVoorbeeld

Do not be ashamed when you are suffering for the Gospel

“Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” (1 Peter 4:15-16)

In some societies, Christians are treated as criminals. They lose their jobs, are kicked out of the family or are even imprisoned for their faith. This is unjust and humiliating. But the apostle Peter, who suffered much for the sake of Christ himself, encourages his readers. If you suffer as a Christian, he says, you need not be ashamed. Even though you are treated as a criminal, you yourself know that you haven’t done anything wrong and therefore there is no reason to feel ashamed. One time, when Peter and some other apostles were put in public prison, beaten and almost killed because they preached about Jesus, “they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41). It is an honor to suffer for Jesus!

The same goes when your family members, friends or fellow church members are imprisoned for their faith. Do not be ashamed of them, but support them as much as you can. The apostle Paul shares how encouraging this is. He was left alone by almost all of his friends, but Onesiphorus “often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains”, Paul writes.

Do you suffer for your faith? How do you respond?