Put yourself in their sandals. You embrace the message of salvation, you are filled with joy, you feel courage rising within you, and then suddenly you’re facing incredible opposition. Dark forces foment violence against your family. Your world is turned upside down as you hit the road, looking for a new place to live and work. Scary. Bewildering. Painful.

Misery Is Optional

And yet the early Christians did not sink into bitterness about their plight. On the contrary, today’s passage says they “went on their way preaching the message of good news.” There is a huge lesson here.

God in His providence sometimes lets upheaval, dislocation, and trauma become part of our life for His broader purposes. Just as the scattered Christians did not grow self-absorbed, let us grow so deep in God that we can bow to what He allows in our life and keep proclaiming Jesus even in persecution, job loss, deployment, illness, or tragedy. Indeed, our faith truly captures the minds and hearts of others when they see us trusting God even when life gets hard. Let the words of Jesus ring in our ears: “Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

Bottom Line

Life is not about our comforts and convenience. We are soldiers in a spiritual battle. Hard times are expected—even promised! But God is with us.