This post was written by Peter Bowers who is a blogger for Thirteen Three.

I believe Australian youth need the persecuted church more than they need us.

The Danger of Losing our Hope

Growing up in Australia we enjoy the beach, movies, music, sport, food, holidays and even—if we’re honest—school.

But there is a real and present danger in being blessed so much and suffering so little…

We are in danger of losing our hope for the life to come.

If we lose our hope for the life to come and lose our trust in Jesus our Lord, then we have also lost our place in God’s eternal Kingdom. This would be the greatest loss of all.

But how can persecuted Christians help us? I think, in two ways.

Persecuted Christians Remind us our World is Broken

First, by being BOUND with our persecuted brothers and sisters, we are reminded that our world is broken.

You may remember the 29 May ‘Widows of Colombia’ blog down the page. Here a widow recalls of her husband,

We didn’t know where he was; we looked all over. Three days later we found him. He had been severely tortured before he was murdered.

And this is only one of many stories of persecution that highlight our world is far from perfect.

Persecuted Christians Encourage and Inspire Us

Second, by being BOUND with our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ we can be encouraged and inspired.

One of the most famous persecuted Christians once wrote,

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have made us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. (Philippians 3:17)

Persecuted Christians do not have the danger of getting caught up in the blessings of living in Australia, and so they are a great example of Christians to “keep your eyes on”.

Question: What do you think we can learn from persecuted Christians? We’d love to hear from you. Please join the conversation by leaving a comment below.