Christians in America need to stop using persecution as an excuse.

One of the most famous quotes from scripture is from Jesus, right before He died, saying, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)” those of us who grew up in the church have also heard a similar line from Stephen when he was being stoned to death and said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them. (Acts 7:60)” Both of these acts of forgiveness come from people being persecuted because of their love for God. They are two of many examples of victims of persecution in the Bible.

In today’s world, we hear of people in other countries who die for their faith and who are persecuted across the globe. It is no lie that there are still victims today. But I want to look at Christianity in America and how we tend to respond to feeling like or being treated as victims. While we in America definitely have it much easier compared to other countries, some still like to play the victim card, and I am not sure if we should. Truth be told, I do not think it matters whether or not you think Christians in America are being persecuted. The answer won’t change either way.

First, I should explain what I mean when I say ‘play the victim card.’ I am not using this phrase as someone who acknowledges they are a victim, but as someone who is using their victim status as a means to gain something such as pity or a social media following or treats it as an excuse for inappropriate and ungodly behavior. I have had an IEP all my education up to college and have a diagnosed disability. I can acknowledge my disability and the struggles that it causes, and that would be fine. What I should not do is claim my disability as a means to get out of work I do not want to do or to get away with being lazy. I do not let my disability define me or get in the way of my academic work. In the same way, we as Christians need to make sure that we are not using our experiences of persecution to get in the way of our Kingdom work and Christ’s Agape love.

While I could write a book diving into each example in the Bible and what it means, I want to focus mainly on Stephen and Jesus. First is Stephen, whose story is found in Acts 7:54–8:2. He had just finished preaching to some church leaders, including the high priest, and when they did not like what he said, Saul (later called Paul) had the people execute him. This would have been a great time for Stephen to call out to God to strike them down with lightning or to curse those who wouldn’t listen, yet instead, he asked God to forgive them. So, what can we learn from this interaction? Well, most of us are not going to get stoned any day soon, but we might have discussions with people that frustrate us or maybe know someone who tries to start an argument knowing we are Christian. We should forgive them! Mattew 6 includes the Lord’s prayer and in verses 14 and 15 says, “ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” So let me ask you something: how can we expect God, who has done no wrong towards us, to forgive our sins against Him when we cannot even forgive those who have sinned against us? How hypocritical would that be?

Jesus walked a life where people were constantly trying to get the better of Him. He did not live in a luxury house with servants and a cook. No, He was constantly roaming around spreading the Good News. Do you know what Jesus never did? He never played the victim card. He never tried to gain sympathy from others by pointing out how hard His life was. When He talked to others about joining the kingdom of God, He didn’t do it by saying, “Choose my team and make me feel better because those other guys are mean!” No, He said that the life of a believer was going to be hard and that to live a life for God, we have to lose our own life (Matt. 10:36). Jesus never let having a hard life stop Him from growing the Kingdom of God. He never stopped showing Agape.

When Jesus was about to be betrayed by Judus, He still broke bread with Him during the Last Supper. When the soldiers came to arrest Him, He took the time to heal the soldier's ear that had been cut off (Luke 22). I do not know about you, but if I were there, I would have let that soldier bleed out. But what is most amazing? When God had turned away from His son, and Jesus was in so much pain both spiritually and physically, He asked God to forgive them.

Why is it that we are so quick to defend ourselves? Why is it that any time a minor incident happens, we are so quick to blame everyone else? When we do get hurt because of our faith, we are not called to hide, pity ourselves, or point the finger at others. We are called to love despite the hate, despite the persecution, despite what we might lose, and despite our ego. We need to grow the Kingdom of God no matter what disposition it puts us in socially. I see too many times when Christians want to avoid their duties as a believer because they do not want to be inconvenienced or they might get their feelings hurt. They play the victim card or the might-be-a-victim card.

Another thing is when people take their experiences of persecution, minor or major, and use them to their own advantage. I am not talking about sharing a testimony the Holy Spirit has led you to. I am talking about sharing your experiences in a way that negatively impacts others, stops you from showing grace and empathy, or feeds into your ego. When your testimony puts the spotlight more on yourself than it does on God, then you need to reconsider how you are using that testimony.

Now, before you go off in your head or post on Facebook, try not to think about all these other people. Do not say, “I know what you mean, and Jane is always posting on social media about being a victim,” or “Yes! The [political Party] are always acting like this!” I challenge you to take a step back and try not to think of anyone except yourself. Before you point fingers, try to let God in and examine your own heart. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s conviction and work on being a better Christian yourself. We are too quick to pass the blame and too slow to make an inward change.