I grew up thinking persecution was something that happened in China or Africa. Then I became serious about my faith in college and faced real social persecution - mocked by friends, excluded from certain circles, assumed to be judgmental.
It wasn't physical danger, but it was real cost. And Paul's saying that's actually normal. Anyone seriously following Jesus will face some level of opposition. Not because Christians are victims, but because godliness threatens systems of power.
That reality has actually made me braver. I'm not shocked when people mock me. I'm not surprised when my values conflict with the culture. I expected it. And I'm choosing it anyway because what I'm choosing is worth the cost.
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