Episode 324: I’m Talkin. . .Persecuted

I’m talking, episode 324 for June 30th, 2024.

This is Joel from the I’m Talking Microcast, where I share my thoughts on a topic that has piqued my interest this past week.

This week we’re talking persecution.

So this week I want to start with a definition as I do on a fairly regular basis, and the one that I found that I liked, it says hostility toward a person, something it didn’t really say, but towards something usually based on ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.

And that’s a pretty good definition.

Now I myself don’t think I’ve really experienced any significant persecution, but on these basis of the definition, the ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or political beliefs, there are probably many in this world who have faced persecution because of those things.

Sometimes though, I think the world thrives on that, even though no one really wants to experience it, they end up with a mindset that says, if you don’t think like I do, if you don’t believe like I do, if you don’t dress like I do, whatever it is, then you are persecuting me because you think what I’m doing is wrong.

So I guess what I’m saying is the world leaves little room for differences of opinion.

If you don’t think like the world, if your worldview is any way different than, it’s not even the majority.

It may be even a small minority, but it’s vocal and there is no room for disagreement.

There’s no room for differences of opinion.

And therein lies the challenge for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

If you’re a Christian, you stand on the truth of God’s word.

So when we are challenged for our beliefs, we don’t have to defend too much.

I mean, we need to know what we believe, but we need to let them know that we stand on the Bible as the true word of God and as the central truth of the entire world, the entire universe.

And so while it is my belief, because I choose to believe the Bible, it’s not my words, it’s God’s word.

So when God holds a different opinion about your actions, your lifestyle, those kinds of things, then I have to hold those same opinions because as a Christian, I stand on that truth.

But the question is, do we allow room for differences of opinion?

If people don’t believe what we believe as Christians, are we okay with that?

If people do things that are sin, according to God’s word, are we okay with that?

It’s not that we condone it, but can we love people through those differences?

Can we still be friends?

Can we still be acquaintances?

Can we still reach out with the loving arms of Jesus Christ and say, I understand who you are.

I understand what you believe.

I don’t always agree with you, or I don’t ever agree with you potentially, but through the love of Jesus Christ, I can still love you as a human being, as someone created in God’s image.

And that is the challenge for Christians who stand on the truth of the word of God.

Until next week, this is Joel from the I’m Talking Microtext.