Suffering for being a d**khead is not the calling

On Monday I used the word dickhead during a lecture at college.
We were having a discussion about Christians, suffering and if martyrdom was an effective means of spreading the gospel.

I made the point that there are two types of suffering which believers sometimes get confused.
Suffering due to the message of Christ crucified and
Suffering because you are a dickhead.

I remember one young chap who was complaining about being picked on because of his faith. Now, whilst this might have been a minor cause, the major contributor was the attitude this kid had and the way he treated others.

During the lecture a bloke made an astute comment about suffering. Nowhere in the New Testament were the early church told to do anything anarchist. They weren't told to burn down pagan shrines nor "kill the infidels".

They were told to be good citizens.
They were told to obey the laws of the land.
They were told to respect and pray for their leaders.

The only reason Christan's were being persecuted was for the message they preached and the way they radically lived it out.

As they taught and lived a life "in the light," those within the "darkness" reacted adversely.

They weren't thrown in jail or put to death for being a dickhead.