4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5).
These are interesting verses. We are to be counted worthy if we suffer for the Gospel sake. In other words, it is a privilege. How counter-intuitive is that? So, if we are lucky, we will get to suffer for Christ. This runs so counter to the world’s ideas of success and love. And yet, there is a profound truth here. We suffer for Christ out of obedience to Him, and when we are obedient our focus is on Him. Our focus on Him makes all other things seem inconsequential, including suffering. Therefore, our circumstances no longer seem to matter.
These are interesting verses. We are to be counted worthy if we suffer for the Gospel sake. In other words, it is a privilege. How counter-intuitive is that? So, if we are lucky, we will get to suffer for Christ. This runs so counter to the world’s ideas of success and love. And yet, there is a profound truth here. We suffer for Christ out of obedience to Him, and when we are obedient our focus is on Him. Our focus on Him makes all other things seem inconsequential, including suffering. Therefore, our circumstances no longer seem to matter.
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