Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

There is a GREAT REWARD for every abuse or insult or reproach you receive for Jesus’ sake. They shall hate you, and they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and they shall denounce you as evil. But there’s a reward in heaven for you for all that. That’s why Jesus tells you to rejoice and leap for joy, because BLESSED ARE YOU for receiving that abuse.

In fact you must be abused at some point, for His name’s sake. If you have never suffered any abuse for Christ’s sake, then you probably are not doing much for Jesus. Yeah. This is how Jesus put it:

” Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” -John 15:20

You will be abused because your Lord was abused; because there are many who still hate that name Jesus for no reason; because the world and it’s systems are in opposite directions to God and His kingdom.

And by abuse we don’t mean when you do something wrong and are being punished for it. This persecution and suffering is because you are affiliated with Christ and take a stand for Him; you hold firmly to your Christ values in the face of abuse and denials. You wouldn’t be in that place if it hadn’t been for your love for Jesus.

And one sure way to know that a person has had deep encounters with Jesus is that the things that make the people of the world perplexed does nothing to you. YOU BECOME RUGGED in Christ.

I ask you again, WHAT HAVE YOU SUFFERED FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE? Selah! 

                GRACEFUL MORNING