Our Scripture reading today is Hebrews 12:1-3.
Verse 3, "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
We are admonished to consider Christ when we are "persecuted" for our faith. I really hesitate to use the word, persecuted. North American Christianity has not endured persecution like many parts of the world. A certain level of it has come to those who boldly proclaim their faith or are spreading the Gospel on a regular basis. When it comes, we are to consider what level of persecution our Saviour endured while He was on this earth. He suffered much that we might live in spiritual freedom and one day live eternally in Heaven with Him!
“If in the Sunday-school a class seems unmanageable; if the boys cannot be taught; if the girls seem so giddy; if in the little village station the hearers seem, so dull, so inattentive, so careless, and so forgetful; if in any other sphere of labor you do not seem to be appreciated, but to meet with very serious rebuffs, never mind. These are nothing compared with the contradictions which the Saviour endured, and yet swerved he never, and therefore swerve not you.” (Spurgeon)