Challenged by Brother Yun

I read a book about a Chinese Christian this week.  His name is Brother Yun and he's been tortured for Christ. He's spent over 7 years in prison.  He once went 74 days (by choice) without food or water. He's a living miracle, a light burning brightly, testifying to the power and glory of God.

But his story was convicting.

His life as a Christian is hard.  Harder than I will probably ever understand or even fully imagine.  He does not currently live in China because he's a wanted criminal there - simply for being a Christian.  While in China he suffered daily for Christ, yet his confidence, faith and complete trust in God exuded from him (and still does).

It hit me between the eyes.

Because my life doesn't look like that.

I'm a Christian and I know God is sovereign. But I rarely live like I hold that knowledge dear.

I know I'm not (currently) called to be a martyr for Christ, in the sense of being physically tortured for my faith to the point of dying.  I know that I was not born in China, or in a country where being a Christian is against the law.

God has placed me in this country, in my family, in this generation for a purpose and a reason. 

But I am still called to radical faith.

I am still called to boldly proclaim the truth of God.

Brother Yun spoke of God and was beaten and imprisoned for his beliefs.

I fear to speak of Christ because I might be ridiculed or mocked.

How petty my fears seem compared to what he has faced and still faces.

"I pray that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage, so that now, as always, Christ will be glorified in my body." Phil 1:20

I know this is true of Brother Yun. I pray that it will be true of me.  That I will learn how to live out the Gospel in a vibrant and bold way, that others in this country might see the power of God and understand the Gospel.

In this book, Brother Yun often exhorted his fellow believers to not mourn over what was happening to him, but to mourn over the lost souls that still did not know Christ.

I pray that I might feel the burden for these souls as Brother Yun does.  That those who do not know Christ would be impressed upon my heart.

May our faith be radical, our tongues be bold, and the Gospel become ever dearer to us.