THRIVE IN ADVERSITY
The Bible tells us to "endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Soldiers are trained for war, and not just for parading in impressive uniforms with bands playing. Weapons training, fieldcraft, strategy, tactics, and endurance--these are just a few of the things that a soldier is trained to be adept in. A soldier trains, trains, and trains for war, even in peacetime.He develops an instinct to go beyond the normal and the comfortable in order to fulfill his mission.
For a well-trained soldier, the fulfillment of the mission that he is sent to do comes first. It comes before his personal comfort and safety.
That is why we have to learn to endure hardships, but not just to "get through them," but to actually THRIVE in hardships. Embracing hardships and making sacrifices for reaching the lost with the Gospel, should be a greater force in our lives than our own personal comfort on this earth. That is when we put the eternal above the temporal.
Being uncomfortable is what we should find comfortable. Challenges and difficulties, facing them, fighting through them, and overcoming them should be our norm, and what we thrive in.
Today we hear a gospel with a heavy emphasis on personal comfort, material wealth, and indulgence; and if we are not very careful, the very things that God gives us to bless us with can become a yoke over our lives. We must learn about God's purpose with material wealth and how to handle it. This way it finds its rightful place as a tool in our hands that we use effectively for the furtherance of the Gospel, instead of it becoming a master over our lives.
Living in America where we have comforts and things that people in other nations can only dream of, let us be watchful that we do not allow ourselves to be consumed by the cult of consumerism and comfort that is all around us.
This is not easy, seeing that there is today a thriving theology where comfort, wealth, and personal well-being are looked at God's number one plan for the Believer. The Bible warns us, "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Tim 6:11-12
Let us keep our vision to reach the lost razor-sharp. Let us maintain our burning passion for souls. Let us always be willing to do whatever it takes to reach the lost. Sometimes it can cost us everything, but the price is nothing compared to the Glory that God will show us. THAT my friends, is where the power of God are found, where victories and testimonies abound.
"In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33
Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam