Cheryl Schatz

Lin,
These verses gives me great comfort:

Mat 5:10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Mat 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

1 Peter 2:19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
1 Peter 2:20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
1 Peter 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

It has taken me quite awhile to come to peace with the suffering that I have endured especially over the issue of women in ministry. However I have come face to face with the issue of suffering as a joyful thing because there are great rewards from God for patiently enduring, not fighting back but keeping focused on the goal and never, ever turning back.

James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

I know that not everyone will have come through the trials as I have but as one who has been called every name in the book I can truly say that after having gone through the trial and having endured I am a stronger person than I ever was. Now instead of looking inward when I am reviled and feeling sorry for myself that my passion for God has been spoken of as an evil thing, I can look outside myself and see Jesus. He traveled this road first. He faced everything I am facing and he never gave up and he didn’t let it get him down. He kept his eyes focused on the goal and he never looked back. He is my example and since I am told in James to “count it all joy” during the persecution, I can look outward and upward and consider it all joy.

I don’t know if that helps or not, but I am joyful today that God has considered me worthy to suffer for His name.