“Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” – Revelation 6:11
Our faith in Christ often requires us to hold several things in tension. This naturally makes us uncomfortable and in our human weakness, we want to simplify our faith by oversteering toward one side or the other of the tension. We must resist that temptation. This verse is an excellent example of the tension we must carefully navigate as we follow Jesus.
As Christians, we’re called to do everything possible to live peaceably with EVERYONE (Romans 12:18). We’re called to pray for ALL leaders so that the church might enjoy peace (1 Timothy 2:1-2). This is God’s will for each of us. Yet it’s also His will that at certain times, Christians will suffer for our faith. Some will die for it. We must simultaneously seek, make, and pray for peace and be willing and prepared to suffer or die for Christ.
We must prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually for both. Some Christians focus so much on living peacefully that we aren’t prepared if persecution should come to us. If we aren’t prepared, we won’t endure. We’ll renounce or compromise Christ for comfort, safety, or social standing. Other Christians focus so militantly on their willingness to die gloriously that they refuse to seek or make peace. We must do all these.
Take time to reflect on which side of this tension is your preference and which is your weak area. Reflect on God’s call to do both. In the days to come, study, meditate, pray, and prepare yourself deep within your soul to be both an agent of peace and a bold witness for Christ, whatever the cost!