As images and stories continue to stream in from the crisis in Ukraine, we continue to hear more and more about the bravery of individuals facing almost assured destruction. In one instance, a woman confronted Russian soldiers standing on the street and berated them for being on Ukrainian soil. She gave them sunflower seeds and told them to place the seeds in their pockets so that their dead bodies will at least help the flowers grow. In another scene of brave defiance, a group of 13 Ukrainian soldiers were trapped on an island used for training special forces. A Russian warship warned the individuals to surrender their weapons and the island. The soldiers responded with profanities and a refusal to surrender leading to their deaths. The president himself has made it a point to release regular statements and videos proving that he remains in Kyiv fighting alongside his brothers and sisters, ready to die for any one of them.
It is truly an inspiring scene.
When I hear these stories, I am in awe at the bravery of these individuals in the face of spectacular odds. By nearly any measure, Russia is the overwhelming favorite to win the conflict. They have newer systems, more troops, more war machines, and a host of high end capabilities. Yet, the Ukrainians won't back down. Why? What could possibly be leading them to stand so firm: because they are standing for a higher principle. They stand for something they believe in and something worth dying for.
Followers of Jesus Christ have faced all varieties of trials and obstacles over the last 2000 years. Sometimes resistance was felt in the form of persecution, other times in the form of government oppression. Today, the resistance we meet is minimal at best. Someone may disagree with us on social media or our ideas may not be readily accepted in a church meeting; that's about the extent of it for most modern church goers. The fact that so many almost seem excited to publicly advertise their oppression via social media is, in a way, evidence of how far we are removed from what most cultures would consider "oppression".
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9, CSB)
When God called for his people to retake the promised land, he commanded multiple times that they be strong and courageous. Strength and courage can look like many things. For some, it looks like an an eagerness to jump into conflict regardless of the odds. For others, it means remaining peaceful when hostility would be easy. For yet others, it means remaining dignified and employing discernment rather than taking to our cellphones or social media to make certain the public is aware of the grave injustices we have endured. Whatever strength and courage looks like for you, that is what we have been called to show.
Most of us will never be forced from our homes for our affiliations or beliefs. We will not be threatened with persecution or violence. If we are being honest, the most "public" rejection we're likely to face is someone simply disagreeing with us... which is hardly what one would call "persecution". Still, we will undoubtedly meet resistance in our calling. We will be impacted by the tragedies of life which threaten to drain us of our enthusiasm and energy. We will lose jobs. We will having disagreements and fallouts with friends and family. We will struggle with feelings of pride, addiction, selfishness, and a host of other emotions which can rip us apart from the inside-out. No matter the obstacles placed in our way, we must remain strong and courageous. Rise above your current challenges. Understand that whatever you face, Christ carries your burden with you and has scouted out the trail ahead of you. Whatever path you are walking, you do not walk it alone, so walk it boldly.
Christ has a funny way of making himself known at the exact moment we feel we don't stand a chance.
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