STAY TRUE TO THE GOSPEL

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair." - 2 Corinthians 4:8

The Christianity that we have today didn't come to us on a platter of gold. If you read about Christian martyrs, you'd find that many were killed, beheaded, for their testimony of Christ. On one occasion, over six thousand men were slaughtered for their faith in Jesus Christ, and they were soldiers. They believed the Gospel with all their hearts, and nothing was going to stop them from transferring to the next generation the same faith that they had received.

All the years that you've probably had liberty to worship the Lord, to praise Him in the church, attend crusades and participate in life-transforming meetings, that liberty came through the deep struggle, prayers, sweat, tears, blood, faith, determination and passion of other men and women who staked their lives on the Gospel. They weren't only persecuted; many were buried alive. Some were sawn in two; violently killed, for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Persecution of Christians is still happening in several countries today. Some countries have concentration camps where Christians are subjected to harsh and heinous treatments for their faith in Jesus. A very recent report officially shows that Christians are the most persecuted group in the world.

I'm bringing this to you, so you understand that the faith of Jesus Christ that we have, the message of Christ that we've believed, is worth everything. In spite of the persecution, those before us maintained their faith and stayed true to the Gospel. It should and must be the same in our day.

No matter what's happening in your city or nation, stay true to Christ. Don't vacillate. Don't give up. Don't quit. Preach the Word in and out of season. Nothing should be terrifying or intimidating enough to keep you quiet, for greater is He that's in you than all the adversaries and adversities in the world.

BE BRAVE

Don't get caught up in this new addiction called "lifestyle", don't get caught up in the hype of trying to "live your best life". It's easy to become depressed when you're constantly trying to match everything and everyone you see on social media. It's even easier to suffer with depression whilst trying to become a 'brand/influencer', trying to prove to the world you are happy, you are successful, your chosen, your blessed, you are living your best life, you can easily get caught up in the web where likes equate to euphoria and validation, when the number of followers start to feel like you're being heard. The reality is, most people only like you when you're okay, when you have something to give. But what happens when you run dry? When you hit a dead end? When you face life changing situations, when you stop posting...do you start going into withdrawals like a drug addict? What happens when the lights go out at night? Do u have an identity or are you just a brand? Depression is real, and it is paralyzing so many people in our society today. My advice to you: Don't give all your oxygen to people who can breathe without it. Take care of yourself, take time to discover yourself, don't be afraid to walk away from pressure filled environments that are not good for your sanity, it doesn't make you a quitter or a loser, it makes you brave. #besmartpracticalandwise