A Cheerleader After All

I never wanted to be a cheerleader. In fact, in high school, I HIGHLY despised the idea of cheerleading.  Everything about it irritated me.  Ironically, my younger step-sisters, Anastasia and Druscilla, were both on the high school cheerleading squad, so there was really no escape from the pasted on grins, overly-exposed chicken legs, and ridiculous rhymes shouted with forced enthusiasm.

 However, tonight I've realized that one day I will become a cheerleader. My mind has conjured up an image of a glorious day when I will stand before the Lord with all my brothers and sisters in Christ and will cheer with real enthusiasm and an overflowing heart for all of those who have suffered real persecution and have finished strong. 


In Tim LaHaye's thick and somewhat difficult read, Revelation Unveiled, he tells of a young Armenian girl who was seeking medical help at a US refugee camp. As she stood in line, the nurses could see that she was in great pain but it wasn't obvious why. When it came to be her turn, the nurse asked what was wrong and she replied, "I am bearing the cross. I bear in my body the cross of Jesus Christ. Now I know how he suffered." The workers did not understand until the nurse lifted off her dress and found a cross branded on her shoulder with hot irons. The wound was swollen and infected. The young girl explained, "Every day they would say to me, 'Mohammed or Christ?' When I said 'Christ' on the last day, they branded my shoulder with this cross. Now as long as I live I will bear this cross, and someday when I see Jesus I will be glad," (LaHaye, 76). 

 Did you know that someday, every one of us will stand before the Judgement Throne of Jesus Christ? Those of us who have given our lives to Him will hear, "Well done good and faithful servant." After that, those of us who know the Lord will move aside to allow our other brothers and sisters to receive their blessing and "well done". For most of us, it will be a glorious thing--but pretty easily earned. I mean, really, how hard is it for most of us to follow the Lord? For the majority of us, living a life dedicated to God isn't a question of whether or not we will be found out and murdered on any given day---but instead, whether or not we feel like it that day. Most of us do not face real persecution---real life endangerment---for being professing Christians. (And good thing too...we're a pretty wussy group of people). However, there has always been, throughout history, a people stronger than I'll ever be, more devoted than any I've ever seen, more faithful than I could hope to be: the persecuted church; the martyrs. 

 Can you imagine that day? Can you imagine standing aside and watching a Christian man who was thrown to the lions in Rome or a faithful woman who was burned at the stake or this young girl who received the painful brand of a hot iron on her delicate skin walk up to the throne to meet the Lord? Seeing Him bestow on them a beautiful crown and a white robe and a new name---the promise of eternal life with no more pain, suffering, persecution or fear? You can bet I'll be cheering just as loudly as anyone else! 

 And you know that new body that Christ is going to give me? It'll probably look pretty good in a cheerleader's uniform!

This article was also published in The Christian Home online magazine.  Check it out for more inspiring articles!