This Day in History: 0000-04-30
April 30 – 2 Corinthians 6: 3-10
We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
Maybe I’m a little off my rocker, but passages like this get me fired up. Living this life as a passionate and devoted follower of God isn’t easy. The Bible pretty much guarantees that when we do, our lives will be defined by trials and rejection – just as was the life of our Lord! And still, something inside of me quickens at the sound of such bold declarations of faith. Oh, how I want to live as Paul describes here!
No, I don’t want to be beaten and put in prison, or face angry mobs, or deal with any of the trials listed here, but I know I will. It’s an inevitability, and what I want is to face those situations with the same unwavering faith the early disciples did.
How about you? Do the current or coming trials cause you to shy away from your faith, or do they fire you up to fight harder, dig in deeper, and follow with reckless abandon? Oh how I hope it’s the later! May we be people who can say as confidently as Paul did here that we live in such a way that our lives boldly proclaim a testimony that undeniably points others toward Christ!
No matter what trials may come, and they will come, may we remain pure. Understanding. Patient. Kind. May the Holy Spirit within us be obvious to all those we meet, and may our lives be defined by love! May we be faithful to declare Truth with boldness. May we victoriously fight the spiritual battles waged against us with the weapons we’ve been given in Christ!
May God’s power at work in us define us!
May we faithfully serve God all the days of our life, whether people honor or despise us. May we be filled, day by day, with joy immeasurable, even through the heartaches! No matter our circumstance, may we realize that though this world has nothing for us, we belong to the King. And as His own chilren, may we fully understand that we. Have. EVERYTHING!