Castor Oil Conviction

I don't believe there is anyone who seriously enjoys persecution. It's painful. It's piercing. If we are not focused on the Lord and His demands for lifetime allegiance, suffering can cause us to have a sour taste for discipleship. That's right, I said it....a sour taste for discipleship.

How many of us can remember a medicine we had to swallow as kids called Castor Oil? For those of us who remember, it wasn't a very tasty medicine. Was it? In fact, in was downright nasty. We hated the taste of it going down. However, once the medicine hit the blood stream, we began to feel the effects of its healing power. We did not like it going down, but we certainly did appreciate the end result.

Persecution is somewhat like that nasty Castor Oil. It hurts when people dismiss us from their company. It hurts when people despise and ridicule us. It hurts when people make us the butt end of their inappropriate jokes. It hurts when we are misunderstood because we aim to be true disciples.

But we have to have Castor Oil Conviction.

Be encouraged. For I remember Jesus saying, "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (cf. Matt. 5:11-12).

Castor oil was bad tasting, but it was good healing.
Persecution is a bad feeling, but it reaps a good reward.

Let us hold on to our faith. Never give up. Go Hard for the Lord.

Be Blessed

Your Brother.