When Faith Is All You Have: Lessons from the Global Church on Suffering and Gratitude
In the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, more than 40,000 Christians were displaced last year simply because they chose to follow Jesus.
These are not merely distant statistics; they are people, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Though many of us in the United States have never experienced such persecution, we would be wise to pay close attention — not just to their suffering, but to the strength of their faith in the midst of it.
In regions where following Christ comes with a price, believers live stripped-down lives. What’s left standing after the bombs fall, the prison doors close, or the family is scattered? It’s their spiritual foundation, the Word of God, and the sustaining presence of Christ. While they may lack comfort, safety, and certainty, they often possess something many of us struggle to grasp even in the best of times: gratitude during suffering.
What we learn from the persecuted church is this: Gratitude is not a product of comfort, but a practice of faith.
A Treasure We Take for Granted
In the West, we have religious freedom protected by law. Bibles are readily available in multiple translations. We can gather, worship, and speak the name of Jesus without fear.
But have we grown numb to the treasure we hold? When we hear of believers in North Korea smuggling in Scripture at the risk of death, or underground house churches in Iran risking everything to worship, it confronts us with a difficult but necessary question: Do we value our faith as much as they do?
“It is only because of God’s protection that we’re still alive,” said a pastor we’ll identify only as Yang. Since Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, he and his family have faced repeated displacement due to violence. His wife and children live in constant fear, and Yang has endured detention and threats at gunpoint. Despite these challenges, he continues his pastoral work, attending persecution preparedness training and facilitating workshops for other church leaders. Even amid a brutal conflict and daily struggles, this believer and his family are standing firm for Jesus.
Pastor Yang’s experience shows the reality for many Christians living in this region. He lives each day knowing that his life could be in jeopardy. So how does he keep going, and how does he keep his trust in God?
Persecuted believers cling to God’s Word because it’s often all they have — but it’s enough. That alone should recalibrate our priorities. As American Christians, we can’t afford to treat our faith as a weekend routine or a contingency in times of crisis. Theirs is a faith forged in fire. And it’s that kind of faith we need when we face hardships of our own.
To be clear, we don’t need persecution to develop perseverance, but we do need perspective — and the global church provides it. Their stories remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Their suffering and our liberties should point us not to shame, but to spiritual maturity. When we understand what it costs others to follow Jesus, we’re more likely to cherish what we’ve been freely given — and to steward it well.
Gratitude in the Midst of Suffering
Even in our trials — though they may not look like displacement or imprisonment — we’re invited into the same discipline of gratitude. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Suffering, in all its forms, humbles us, while gratitude grounds us.
Gratitude is not the denial of pain; it’s a declaration of trust. It’s a spiritual strategy. Psalm 69:30 says, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Even when we are afflicted and in pain, gratitude opens the door to hope. It keeps our heads above water, like a life raft in turbulent waves.
God doesn’t waste suffering. Whether it’s on the run in Myanmar or in a hospital room in America, He is present. Psalm 28:7 reminds us, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.”
The plight of persecuted believers should challenge us and inspire us. Their courage doesn’t come from their circumstances; it comes from their closeness to Christ. Their gratitude doesn’t come from what they have, but from who holds them. And that same Jesus is with you, too.
Gratitude may seem like a small act in the face of daunting circumstances, but it’s a bold refusal to accept hopelessness. It’s the soul’s declaration that God’s goodness prevails — all the time. Let’s not wait for hardship to teach us what others already know: that the greatest riches are found in Who we praise.
Ryan Brown serves as president and CEO of Open Doors US, one of 25 national Open Doors International (ODI) bases located around the world. Founded in 1955, Open Doors has continued to serve persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries, and is known for its annual World Watch List, the ranking of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.