SUFFERING...OR INCONVENIENCE??

SUFFERING...OR INCONVENIENCE? Billy Long Ministries NO SWIMMING POOL Throughout history Christians have suffered persecution and faced fiery trials for the word of God, for the testimony of Jesus, and for righteousness sake. There are many today who are imprisioned, tortured, persecuted, and put to death for their faith. However, there are also many of us who have no concept of real suffering for Jesus’ sake. We complain at small inconveniences as if we have paid such a great price. One pastor’s wife said she was suffering for the Lord when she and her husband left their nice home in California and moved back east into a house without a swimming pool. NO TOILET PAPER My friend Adam Kuczma was the head of the Methodist Church in Poland when it was still under communist control back in the days before the Berlin Wall was taken down. He was talking to a lady in America when she told him, “I want to go to Poland and suffer for Jesus.” “We don’t have toilet paper,” he responded. “I don’t feel led to go to Poland,” was her immediate reply. TAKING UP THE "YOKE" On another occasion Adam told me about the time he was visiting some very poor rural folk in the Ukraine and was having a meal in the home of this very humble peasant lady. As she was preparing his meal he noticed how dirty were the table, the glasses, and the dishes. He saw trash floating around in the milk, and told the lady, “My sister, I am sorry, but I cannot drink milk. I will just eat the boiled egg.” He assumed that would be safe. But the elderly lady proceeded to peel it for him with dirty hands. After removing the shell, she dropped the egg to the dirty floor, picked it up, and wiped it off on her dirty apron. Realizing the egg was not quite clean enough, she held it to her mouth, licked it “clean” with her tongue, and then handed it to Adam. He thanked her and said, “My sister, I can only eat the yolk. Will you eat the outside white, and I’ll just eat the yoke.” He was gracious and did not offend this precious lady. He used wisdom in handling a delicate situation. A WING AND A PRAYER Back in 1969, my friend Larry Rodeffer and I were college students preaching revivals during our summer break from school. It was customary in rural communities for members of the church to invite the guest evangelists for evening meals in their homes. On this one occasion we sat at the table enjoying a nice meal. As I lifted my glass and began to drink my ice tea, I noticed an insect wing floating around near the bottom of my glass. I prayed silently, “Lord, how do I handle this?” I did not want to embarrass my hosts, and so I continued to drink the tea without saying anything about the wing. I drank the tea until only about two or three ounces remained in the glass. I then went over to the sink and rinsed it out saying, “I think I’d like to have some ice water.” These are minor inconveniences. We have not yet resisted unto blood. But there are those who are really suffering for Jesus in the world today. We need to be in intercession and prayer for them.