Fired for God - Martin Wiles

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than human authority.” Acts 5:29 NLT

“He was fired for flying the Christian flag . . . and in America.”

Although I struggled to wrap my mind around the statement, I couldn’t deny I was hearing it. The speaker talked about a fellow employee—a fine Christian young man who wasn’t afraid to express his faith.

While a debate bustled at one state capitol building over another historical flag, this man focused on the Christian flag. He proudly flew it from the back of his pickup truck . . . even at work. His supervisor instructed him to remove it. While on break, he did, but then he reinstated it during lunch. At four o’clock, his supervisor called him into the office and fired him.

I can still remember when prayers were articulated in public schools, teachers were allowed to express their faith, and Christian principles permeated society. Hearing about someone getting fired for flying a Christian flag in America disconcerted me.

Jesus said the days before His return would be wicked, like Noah’s day. He also said believers should rejoice when persecuted.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose a fiery furnace over a pagan statue. Daniel chose the lion’s den instead of an order to stop praying to his God. And the apostles chose jail rather than the command to stop preaching about Jesus.

The offense is immaterial; the result is disturbing. Some are fired for flying a flag. Others are told to remove Christian paraphernalia from their office space. Children are suspended for wearing clothing with Christian messages, and papers are scored a zero when written about a Christian topic. All in a country founded on Christian principles—contrary to what some historical revisionists now teach.

Suffering and persecution are parcel of following Christ. If we’re not opposed, we’re probably not shining our faith lights brightly enough. While we shouldn’t cultivate a martyr complex, neither should we shy away from the consequences of following Jesus Christ. We should expect opposition and misunderstanding. Some will shun us, and others will seek to harm us. Our duty entails standing fast and loving those who don’t love us. And we can when we trust God for strength.

How can you lovingly respond to those opposing you because of your faith?

Father, enable me to stand firmly when the powers of persecution rise against me.

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