"Do not pity us - the living God provides for us". So said a North Korean Christian in an interview in the Danish European Mission magazine. This statement made me pause.
Christians in North Korea live in conditions that I can only try to imagine. Because of their faith in God, they live in fear of imprisonment and torture. In fact, around 50,000 North Koreans are in prison because they profess to be Christians.
But despite this reality, self-pity and fear are overcome by a trust in God - a belief that He will give them what they need. Danish European Mission hears countless examples from North Korea of God's intervention. Christians tell of God healing the sick in a country where the healthcare system has collapsed, and how there are examples of Christians not experiencing pain under torture.
It is difficult to find many similarities between Danmark and North Korea. As a citizen of a democratic welfare society, my reality differs significantly from the totalitarian regime that North Koreans live under. I am guaranteed safety and security and have the right to profess my faith. In many ways, I feel that I am taken care of. Still, I am amazed at the great trust in God that the statement implies. My challenges, in comparison to the North Korean Christians, are only bumps in the road. But when I face such bumps, do I trust that God will provide for me? That he can heal sickness and remove pain, even when the answer to prayer seems to be a long time coming?
The testimony contains an awareness of a God who is loving and all-powerful. This invites us to trust. The invitation is to let that trust permeate our lives and remove our fears and self-pity regardless of our circumstances and life conditions.
At Danish European Mission, we want to share all that the persecuted church can teach Christian Danes. Therefore, every two weeks we will write a short blog post about a Christian point that can inspire, encourage and challenge you. This week's post is written by Anna Aalbæk, who is a student assistant at the Danish European Mission and studies political science.
