My exact thoughts the other day. Throughout my childhood I heard from Christian teachers that if I was being persecuted it was in fact a sign I was doing the right thing. If the world hated me, God loved me. There is truth to this, but also danger when misapplied or abused. https://twitter.com/riahthelee/status/1349371713323200513

The truth is that standing up for your faith and seeking to obey God will sometimes put you at odds with others or with your culture. But that does not mean that ANY opposition indicates your actions are justified, correct, or even in line with God’s teaching.

Persecution and the consequences of your actions are not one and the same thing. If a person, flanked by unapologetic white supremamcists and people carrying weapons intent on doing harm, were to construct a gallows and storm a government building, there would be consequences.

Perhaps those consequences would be an arrest, addition to the “no-fly” list, or even loss of a job or friends. It would be wrong for that person to say, “I am being persecuted,” when these are routine consequences for breaking the law.

You are not being persecuted for your beliefs, you are being held accountable for your actions.

Christians: we do not get to claim persecution when we reap the expected consequences of our own sin.