Are you my catfish?

I heard a story once about some fish suppliers who were having trouble shipping codfish from the East Coast. By the time the fish reached the West coast, they were spoiled. So they froze them, but by the time the fish arrived, they were mushy. They decided to try to send them alive, but the fish were dead when they arrived. So they tried sending the fish alive again, but with one big difference. They included a catfish in each tank. You see, the catfish is the natural enemy of the codfish. By the time the codfish arrived, there were alive and well, because they had spent their trip fleeing from the catfish.

This is my point. Maybe God has put a catfish in your tank to keep you alive and well spiritually. It's called persecution. Maybe there's a person at work who always has ten hard questions for you every Monday morning regarding spiritual things. Maybe it's that neighbor who is giving you a hard time for your faith in Jesus. Maybe it's the spouse or family member who doesn't believe. You are wondering why this is happening. It is like that catfish. That person is keeping you on your toes.

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are  not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15:19)

God will allow persecution in the life of the believer. If you're experiencing persecution, here are two things to consider:

1. Persecution confirms that you are a child of God.
2. Persecution causes you to cling closer to Jesus.

When you are suffering persecution for your faith, remember that this world is not your home.

"So don't be surprised, my brothers and sisters, when the world hates you." 1 John 3:13 NLT