Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
A Call to Bold Endurance in Ministry
Sarah John
Long Island MTC, NY
11 The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we
will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with
him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he
remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.
In the midst of a secular world, Christians have now become a dwindling minority. Even members within the church have difficulty remaining faithful to the call that has been bestowed upon us in in the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). We should be humbled and amazed that God would use us in such a way to carry out His will and be apart of something bigger. But how many of us can honestly say that we live out our calling every day spreading and living out the Gospel?
Paul in his letter to Timothy calls us to “endure hardship with [him] like a good soldier of Christ Jesus (v3).” I don’t know about you, but thinking of myself as a soldier of Christ is pretty awesome! On the other hand, when it comes to actually having to fight for Christ, we tend to shy away from our responsibilities and conform to the patterns of the world because it seems like the easier choice. Through all of the hardship and suffering the message of hope shines through because as Christians we understand that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).” Paul even goes to the extent of stating we should “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).
Rejoice in suffering with Christ Jesus our Lord. Live out your calling as a soldier of Christ because we know that the temporary suffering that the world has to offer does not compare to the glory that will be revealed in us when we remain faithful to Him. Be bold and courageous knowing that “surely [He] is with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
In the midst of a secular world, Christians have now become a dwindling minority. Even members within the church have difficulty remaining faithful to the call that has been bestowed upon us in in the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). We should be humbled and amazed that God would use us in such a way to carry out His will and be apart of something bigger. But how many of us can honestly say that we live out our calling every day spreading and living out the Gospel?
Paul in his letter to Timothy calls us to “endure hardship with [him] like a good soldier of Christ Jesus (v3).” I don’t know about you, but thinking of myself as a soldier of Christ is pretty awesome! On the other hand, when it comes to actually having to fight for Christ, we tend to shy away from our responsibilities and conform to the patterns of the world because it seems like the easier choice. Through all of the hardship and suffering the message of hope shines through because as Christians we understand that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).” Paul even goes to the extent of stating we should “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).
Rejoice in suffering with Christ Jesus our Lord. Live out your calling as a soldier of Christ because we know that the temporary suffering that the world has to offer does not compare to the glory that will be revealed in us when we remain faithful to Him. Be bold and courageous knowing that “surely [He] is with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
PRAYER
We thank you, Father,
for remaining faithful even when we are faithless. We pray for boldness
to live out our calling on this earth. We pray that as the Acts church was
filled with the Holy Spirit and were able to speak the word of God with
boldness that we would be able to do the same. Equip us with the abilities that
we need to faithfully spread your Word to all those we encounter. Father, we
praise You for who You are and for Your goodness and mercy towards us.
Amen.
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” -William J. Toms
“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” -William J. Toms