Rejoice in Belief and Suffering

The sermon today was one I have heard plenty of times, but somehow today it smacked me in the face. It was in Philippians and how Paul rejoiced in God's great grace in his life - grace to believe the gospel, and grace to rejoice in suffering because of the gospel. I have always heard it said that we should rejoice when we are rejected for the gospel - and while I have many times been set aside because of the gospel, I would not say I have been rejected because of the gospel.....until now. I realize that my family's recent rejection by our daughter was a rejection because of the gospel! I never really finalized that in my mind until this morning. Had we been unbelievers with morals and standards of the world without Christ, she would still be with us. Paul tells us to rejoice when we are rejected and persecuted because of the gospel - that is also from God's great grace in our lives! What a different perspective I have now.

Although I grieve at her decisions, I rejoice in God's grace in my life to allow this. I pray that God will be honored and glorified in how we react and live in the rejection. I also know that God requires much of him who has been given much. To some, the gospel is life and blessing, and to others it is a curse. The only reason that it is a blessing to me is by God's grace. Without His grace, I would revile the gospel also.