If fear is the reaction to Christian persecution we should most be wary of, then committing ourselves to God’s care is probably the most positive thing we can do. In this series I have looked at Christian persecution from a biblical point of view in some detail because there is so much talk about it within the conservative church in the UK. And although I can see how the church is losing influence and privilege in the West today I do not believe that this can be referred to as persecution. Sensationalising stories about this loss of privilege is not a good response and stirring up fear is quite unbiblical. In this the last post on the subject I shall look at the positive responses expected of us.

Commit yourself to God

In a passage that has key teaching on how Christians should respond Peter emphasises the need for a positive outlook (1 Peter 4:12-19). He ends the passage by encouraging believers to ‘commit themselves to their faithful Creator’. It is a phrase that not only reminds us of how faithful God is but also in whose hands our life is – i.e. the One who created us – when faced with persecution. And surely this fits in with what should be our first reaction in every difficult situation in life – turning to God.

Rejoicing

If responding with faith and trust is the response most called of us, then the attitude of our heart in such times should be one of joy. It is Jesus who is recorded as saying, ‘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 (Matthew 5:11-12)’. For sure, this is a big ask but it is out of our heart that our responses and reactions come and it is no wonder, therefore, that Jesus calls on us to have the right heart attitude. Other heart attitudes include patience and perseverance (1 Cor 4:12; Heb 10:36). There certainly does not seem to be much room for moaning about our lot in these instructions.

Blessing our enemies

Having committed our lives to God’s care and found security in that place and then dealt with the attitude of heart, the Bible suggests we take our response to persecution one step further – and pray for those who persecute us. Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matt 5:44). And Paul adds in a similar vein, ‘Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse’ (Romans 12:14). In days when even Christians are adept at fighting for their rights this seems very counter intuitive and yet it is the way of Jesus and reflects the upside down values of the Kingdom.