Special to ASSIST News Service
HOMELAND, CA (ANS) -- "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:37-39).
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Montage of Kathi's latest books |
With the release of the four novels in my Extreme Devotion fiction series -- my first ever set in international settings -- I can't help but be focused on the message of losing one's life for Christ's sake, as well as on the blessings of persecution. These four books -- No Greater Love, set in Apartheid South Africa in 1989; More than Conquerors, set in the violence of modern-day Mexico; Red Ink, set in Communist China where believers often pay a great price for their faith; and People of the Book, set in Saudi Arabia and dealing with honor killings -- raised a lot of questions in my heart as I researched and wrote.
One of the primary questions that repeatedly rose up inside me was, Where is my first allegiance? It's been a tough couple of years, full of long work days and sometimes painful self-examination as these manuscripts came together, but stepping into the shoes of people in different countries and cultures and times, as they struggled to maintain their faith under the most unimaginably adverse conditions, has stretched and strengthened me beyond anything I'd hoped or dreamed.
You see, the above passage of scripture from Matthew has always been a hard one for me, particularly the part that has to do with family. The concept of laying down my own life for the sake of the gospel isn't all that difficult to grasp; it goes with giving my life to Christ. Because I know that I no longer live once I'm His, but rather He lives in me, the commitment to self-sacrifice is a given. But my family? A bit tougher, don't you think?
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This sign says it all for Egyptian Christians |
Yet Christians around the world face not only personal persecution but persecution of loved ones as well. Can you imagine being a parent faced with the choice of denying Christ or condemning your child to prison or torture -- or even death?
Admittedly that's far beyond our personal ability to comprehend, let alone yield to in our own strength. But the Scriptures promise that through Christ we can do all things -- even the unthinkable. Many Christians who suffer for their faith even count it a privilege to do so, though I can't help but believe it is much more difficult when that suffering involves someone they love.
That's where first allegiance comes in, of course. You see, Jesus made it quite clear that we are to love Him above all else -- even our own families -- if we are to be called His disciples.
My research and writing of these books has reinforced my belief that perhaps that type of allegiance is discovered in the crucible of suffering.
I pray we are never faced with a choice that involves suffering for ourselves or someone close to us, but I also pray that today, right now, in whatever situation or circumstance, country or culture, we find ourselves, we will make a commitment to hold fast to our "first allegiance," regardless of the price to do so -- and to trust God for the strength to do it. "Well done, good and faithful servant" will surely be our reward.
***To hear Kathi speak on this topic, click on this link: http://www.newhopedigital.com/
***To order the Extreme Devotion series or any of Kathi's other books, click on this link: http://www.kathimacias.com/pb/
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Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com; www.thetitus2women.com; http://kathieasywritermacias.
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