Suffering for Christ

We enjoy going to our church home group meetings.  We have become friends with each one who attends and really appreciate the hospitality and leadership of Róbi and Judit Szabó. 

Last night we were looking at 1 Peter where it talks about suffering for Christ and Róbi asked if we had experienced any problems because we are Christians.  Thinking back, we Americans could not name one.  Then Róbi told about his father's experience as a trolley bus driver during the Communist era.

The bus company had a program by which they would honor exemplary employees and Róbi's father was an exemplary employee.  He was always on time for work, always did a good job, never had complaints from his passengers and never had an accident.  However, he was never given the title of exemplary employee because he was a Christian and regularly went to church.  But Róbi's dad didn't complain.  He explained that he was not working for the praise of men, but for the praise of God.

It has been 26 years since the government changed to a democracy here in Hungary, but this testimony was a fresh and humbling reminder of how sheltered we Americans have been.  May the Lord help us to honor Him if and when we should face the possibility of suffering for Christ.