Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Endurance is a privilege
In the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy, the scripture depicts Paul charging Timothy to be bold for Christ. Paul the Apostle wrote the book of Timothy between A.D. 66 and 67, possibly from a Roman prison and it was addressed to Timothy. In spite of Paul’s dismal circumstance of being in prison, his primary concern was for Timothy and his ministry. Paul was certain that upon the time of his death, he would have an eternal home waiting for him in Heaven. Paul admonishes Timothy to never be ashamed of the Gospel, but to persevere in faith and his obedience to God. He tells him that in the last days there will be a great turning away from God. Paul ends his letter by asking Timothy to come to visit him soon. Thinking about Paul’s situation in prison, I can envision him enduring hardship. Yet, he is faithful to the Lord. He remains strong in his faith. Even while in prison, he encourages Timothy to also “endure” his trials as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Timothy is admonished to flee youthful lusts and to keep his eyes upon God for his life. Paul’s purpose in guiding Timothy in this direction is so that he can also “teach” others about God. A good spiritual life builds good soldiers for Christ’s army. The Bible is the inspired word of God. As Christians, we can also make a difference in the lives of others if we are willing to do so. We often have hardships in our own lives today just as Paul did. The only way to “endure” those times is through believing in Jesus Christ and living a Christian lifestyle. Christ lives for us more than we live for Him. He never will leave or forsake us. He gives us the air we breathe; the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the people we love, our careers, our finances, and He never forgets about us. With God on our side, we can endure and teach, just as Paul taught Timothy. It does not matter what point we are at in our life, God is a caring God and merciful. He is willing to forgive but only if we ask. Today, consider the prison you may be in or facing. It may not be a federal prison here on earth or again, it could be. Or you may be in a spiritual prison, or even in a state prison. No matter what scenario it is, God already knows our hurts and needs. There is hope for a new life in Christ Jesus. It is only by the simple task of asking Him to live within us that we can come outside of that darkness known as sin. When Christians are made to endure something in life, whether it is cancer, financial struggle, or any other ordeal, we look at the situation as a problem. If we stop looking at the negatives and see it as a “growing pain” in serving God, it ceases to be a problem and becomes a privilege. Why, one might ask? It is because of God’s grace. If we find a silver lining in our dark clouds, we learn that how to cope with the task(s) at hand because God has chosen to give us another chance. Therefore, let us count our many blessings and live for the very second that we are in. Our days are numbered but each one is a precious gift from our Heavenly Father, God.
Inspirational Journeys is written by:
Charlotte K. Berger
Contact her at: cberger@thecherawchronicle.com.
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