Matthew 5:1-12

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

It costs to be a Christian. We don’t gain points for choosing not to go with the crowd. 

But there’s also a gift that we receive from the friction we experience — it purifies and deepens our connection to God.