“So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” (Acts 5:39b-42)

Would you rejoice about suffering for your faith? Would you consider the idea of suffering to be an honor that you would seek to be worthy of? I bet a lot of the time the word inconvenienced would fit better than rejoicing. Sure, in theory it would be awesome to be used by God in any way, but sometimes when the rubber meets the road it’s not that fun.

People generally imagine the idea of suffering for our faith as some intense battle between spiritual forces where we are feeling and fighting the enemy over someone’s soul. Or maybe it’s that prayer-warrior battle that finds you agonizing for a long time over a specific issue. But what if it is being late for a family dinner because you were sitting with a friend who needed you there, but kept repeating the same problems? Or having to forgive someone for the same mistake for the 212th time?

A lot of the time we look at the big things and want to serve (or suffer) in those areas. But what about the mundane, the annoying, or the frustrating? Peter and John were for sure doing those “big things” in this part of the story, and it led to beatings for them, but are we willing to suffer in the small, not so noticeable ways as well? 

Whether it is physical, mental, emotional, or reputational, there is no one-way the enemy fights and therefore there are lots of different ways we can suffer for the cause of Christ. Some may be “big” with crazy stories that will be told throughout the rest of your life. And some will be things you hope you forget – or can get out of as quickly as possible. (This is just like when some of the biggest ministry opportunities come when all you want to do is go home). 

Are you willing to answer the call when it is late…or inconvenient…or gives you a headache? Follow God in the small, mundane annoyances is just as rewarding and powerful as any opportunity God offers. Don’t look past a single one – or you’ll miss out on what God wants for you.