by Sally Matheny
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| Photo by Pixabay |
Why are some Christians afraid to speak the truth of
Jesus Christ when they are at school, at work, or even at church?
I believe it
boils down to three fears. Fear of rejection, fear of persecution, and fear of
inadequacy. How do I know? A few of them have crept up on me, too.
Let’s consider our “what if” fears and talk about ways to
squash them.
Fear
of Rejection
You’ve heard these—maybe even said a few.
“What if kids stop talking to me, because I’m talking
about Jesus?”
“I could be ostracized in the group.”
“If I talk about God, won’t people say I think I’m
better than everyone else?”
We may see eyes roll, hear snide remarks, or feel as if
we’re invisible. We may be denied access to the popular group at school.
Overlooked for a job promotion.
Former friends now
keep
their
d i s t a n c e.
Rejection may lead to persecution.
Fear
of Persecution
“The kids will make fun of me if they know I’m a
Christian.”
“If I speak the whole Truth, they’ll say its hate speech.”
“No one will respect me. They’ll think I’m a fanatic. I
might even lose my job.”
Persecution to most American Christians means being
singled out, harassed, perhaps bullied.
Persecution to Pakistani, Asia Bibi, meant a beating
for sharing her faith to Muslim women. Imprisoned for violating subsection C of
Pakistan’s 295 blasphemy law - blasphemy against the prophet Muhammad, she was
sentenced to death. The death sentence
was not carried out, but she’s been imprisoned since 2009. Even though she is
sick and misses her family, she will not renounce her faith.
Asia's story takes our perception of persecution
to another level.
