¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12 ESV)

While my daughter, son-in-law and grandson were in another country on the mission field I worried about them being persecuted. They were quietly ministering to a culture that is known for this. But God protected them while they were there. However, a father’s fears persisted.

Now that they are back and ministering in a different way it may well be that their chance to be persecuted is actually higher. Maybe without the potential of such a severe outcome, but there none the less.

I know when I was doing more core motorcycle ministry we were often seeking to minister to those who did not wish us to be there. Most often this manifested in just being shunned a bit, but at times we were told to go away or receive more direct pushback.

It is not necessarily easy to minister to others. I have to be careful what I say in a work setting. But often ministering does not necessarily mean proselytizing with an intent to convert someone. No, far more often it means that we are a listening ear and seeking to provide scripturally based wisdom. Not in a holier-than-thought way, but in a loving and caring way. Even this may result in some persecution if the individual knows where our love comes from and is adverse to anything having to do with Christ. But this does not mean that we stop caring and loving on others.