Genesis 22

     Jesus wasn't lying when He said we'd be persecuted if we chose to follow Him. The problem with our perception of this statement is that we have an unrealistic view of the word persecution. You see, we're pretty lucky to live in a society where we face very little verbal or physical persecution for the sake of our faith (in comparison to other areas of the world). I'd argue however, that the type of persecution we face is just as dangerous. We face a type of psychological and emotional persecution when we choose to follow Christ.
     
     A strange phenomenon happens when you devote your life to God where suddenly those once closest to you may feel like complete strangers. People who do not share your love for Christ or passion for the Gospel look down on you with disapproval. Beyond that, some might even pity you. In a matter of moments, you can go from being perceived as a confident, driven, and successful young woman to a disillusioned, naive, undetermined, and weak little girl.

     We were warned this would happen. We've been told since little children in CCE that we may "lose friends" when we choose to put God first. (Although lets be real, anyone you lose in this process probably wasn't the greatest friend to begin with). We're well equipped with bible verses, praise and worship lyrics, and saint quotes to face these tough times! How may times we've heard St. Paul's famous words to Timothy, "I have finished the race. I have kept the faith!" Well, good for you buddy. 

     But come on! You know as well as I do that those words can only go so far. You lose one friend for the sake of Christ... okay. You lose two... alright that sucks a little bit. You lose three... by this point I'm a pro at this, whatever. What happens when the stakes get higher? What happens when the people you start drifting apart from are your family? Or your significant other? What happens then? What happens when the people who have given you the most love are the ones who fail to recognize the source of love itself?

     This is where things get real. This is where your faith is tested. Do you love God more than you love your husband? Do you love Christ more than you love your parents? If your answer to this is "I don't know..." or even "No..." you're not alone. In fact, this has been happening since the days of the Old Testament.

     Remember the story of Abraham? The old guy who prayed and prayed for a son, and God finally blessed him and his wife Sarah with Isaac! Just a few chapters later, God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Yeah... sacrifice, as in kill. Can you imagine the inner turmoil that poor old man must have been going through? The pain and agony of even thinking about killing his child. Followed by the frustration that it was for the sake of God! Hopefully you all know how the story ends. Abraham is about to go through with it all, when God stops him! (Thank goodness. How awful would that story be if he actually ended up killing him?)

     Okay but here's the point. Abraham's faith was being tested. In that critical moment of truth, Abraham chose God over Isaac, trusting that God's plans were greater than his own. Obviously, God wants what's best for us - more than our friends do, more than our parents do. Not only does God want what's best for us, He knows what's best for us. In that moment, God decided losing Isaac wasn't what was best for Abraham.

     Final thought in the course of all this madness. Is it possible that you're Abraham right now? Is there something that God is calling you to do that is causing a distance to form between you and those you love the most? Don't get stuck on the first part of Abraham's story. Understand that God's plans are significantly greater than ours. He will never leave you orphan. He has never failed, and He most definitely isn't about to start.