“My pleasure.”

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5:41)

Chic-fila employees have five-star customer service and are known for their popular phrase “my pleasure”. Everything is considered their pleasure, even when the task pushes them completely out of their way. It may not feel like a pleasure, but the culture of the company is service. As Christians, it’s easy to get distracted by other goals presented to us. Especially for those of us in Western society, we may be tempted to find pleasure in the pursuit of generational wealth, bigger houses, or larger platforms. None of these are inherently evil or wrong, but let us be reminded that we are joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), joining in his glory as well as his suffering. When we are only concerned with the gospel when it’s widely accepted or when it benefits us, we dilute the mission of the Church. Instead, the reason for the Church is to proclaim the Good news! Like the early church, we are to share our testimony of the man named Jesus and all he did for us. We are to tell of our lived experiences and the stories of the Bible days. The message is the same: Jesus is the Christ, God’s son who came to save those who believe in him.

And, because not even Jesus himself was spared from pain and persecution, we ought to welcome that too. Now persecution may not look like literal murder or flogging, but for you, it may be family members or friends who tease you for living for Christ. You may not get invited to the same functions as before. Twitter may deem you “canceled”. However, the next time you are persecuted for boldly declaring the goodness of God, or sharing Jesus with a coworker, may your heart be aware of the privilege to “suffer shame for his name.”

My pleasure.