Daily Prayer: When Being a Christian Costs You Something
Daily Prayer: When Being a Christian Costs You Something
"However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."
— 1 Peter 4:16
Nobody warned me that one of the hardest parts of being a Christian wouldn't be the big dramatic stuff. It wouldn't be lions in a colosseum. It would be Tuesday afternoon at work, trying to explain why I didn't laugh at that joke.
Or Sunday, honestly. Which is where we are right now.
The Low-Key Suffering Nobody Talks About
When most of us read the word "suffer" in a Bible verse, our brains jump to persecution — people losing their jobs, their freedom, their lives for their faith. And that's real. That happens. I don't want to minimize it for a second.
But there's this other kind of suffering that's quieter and somehow harder to name. It's the subtle social friction of being the person in the room who believes what you believe.
It's the eye roll you catch when you mention church. The conversation that shifts when someone finds out you actually take your faith seriously. The moment you hold your tongue — not because you're ashamed, but because you're already exhausted and it's only Wednesday morning.
That's the suffering I know. The low-grade, chronic kind.
The Part That Gets Me Every Time
Peter doesn't say if you suffer, brace yourself. He says if you suffer as a Christian — meaning, specifically because you carry that name — don't be ashamed. Praise God.
I'll be honest. My first reaction to that is always a very polite internal, really?
Because praising God when something hurts does not come naturally to me. I'm more of a "process it quietly, journal about it later, maybe mention it to God once I've got my feelings organized" kind of person.
But Peter is writing to people who are actually suffering. Not metaphorically. And he's not telling them to minimize it or push through with a smile. He's saying: don't be ashamed of the name you carry. That name means something. Praise God for it.
Being a Mom, a Wife, and a Christian in the Same Week
This week felt long. Like most weeks do when you're holding a job, a marriage, a house, and a relationship with an adult kid who is out in the world doing their own thing — which is wonderful and also means you worry differently now. Bigger canvas, same mom-heart.
There were moments this week where I was tired of being the one who tries to respond with grace. Where I just wanted to react like a regular human and not feel this internal nudge to do better.
That nudge — that's the name I carry. And sometimes, yeah, it costs something.
It costs the sharp comeback I didn't say. The frustration I sat with instead of venting about. The moment I chose to show up for someone when I really just wanted to stay home on the couch with a blanket and not be responsible for anyone's feelings.
Not dramatic suffering. But real.
What Praise Looks Like When You're Tired
I don't think praise always looks like hands raised and eyes bright. Sometimes praise looks like waking up on a Sunday morning with heavy eyes and still showing up. Still meaning it, even when you don't feel it.
Sometimes it's saying out loud — even just to yourself — I'm glad I know You, even when knowing You is inconvenient for me.
That's not nothing. That might actually be everything.
Because the alternative — being ashamed of the name — that would cost so much more. I've seen what it looks like to quietly drift away from faith because it felt like too much friction with the world. And I understand it. I'm not judging it. But I don't want it for myself.
I want to still be here. Still bearing the name. Still a little worn from the week but not ashamed.
A Note for This Sunday
If you had a hard week because of who you are in Christ — if you held back something mean, or held onto something good when it was easier to let go, or just felt a little out of step with the room you were standing in — that matters.
You're not imagining it. It does cost something sometimes.
And according to an old man named Peter who knew what real suffering looked like, you don't have to be ashamed of that. You get to praise God for it.
Which, when you sit with it long enough, is actually kind of wild and kind of wonderful.
Today's Prayer
God, I won't pretend this week was easy. Some of it was, and some of it wasn't, and some of the hard parts were directly because I was trying to live like someone who knows You. I'm not complaining. Well — maybe a little. But I'm also grateful. Grateful that the name Christian means something. Grateful that it's mine to carry. Help me carry it without dragging my feet. Help me not be embarrassed by it when the room gets awkward. And on the days when I'm just tired and the friction feels like too much — remind me that You noticed. That it counts. That You're not asking me to be perfect, just present. I love You. Thank You for not making me do this alone. Amen.
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