WHAT DO YOU DO?
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. – Luke 9:24
You are sleeping soundly in your bed one night when you hear a loud
explosion outside followed by gunshots and screams. An army of militants
has just broken into your city, searching for innocent civilians, like
you and your family. Soon, you discover that they have broken into your
house and have captured your mother, father and siblings. You are next.
You know you have no chance to escape.
This may sound far-fetched, but this has been true for hundreds of
people living in Northeastern Syria. As I write this, CNN reports that
the ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) has abducted at least 90
Assyrians, including hundreds more of Christians. They were sent an
ultimatum that read: “Convert to Islam, pay a fine, or face ‘death by
sword.’”
Today, Jesus tells us, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
Some are blessed with this call of martyrdom. They are not afraid to
suffer and perish for the faith. But for us who are not called to that
extreme suffering, do we likewise die to ourselves each day with the
small sacrifices we are called to make?
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