Good Morning Friends,
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence
of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach
others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one
serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his
commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not
receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The
hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord
will give you insight into all this.” (2 Timothy 2:1-7)
Where does your strength come from? It comes
from the only place it can come from – it comes from the Lord and His gift to
us. The Psalmist knew that truth. “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does
my help come from? My help comes from
the Lord.” (Psalm 121:1-2) It’s not our own physical, emotional, psychological,
intellectual, or spiritual abilities that give us the strength to make it.
Those who rely upon such things ultimately fail. Only those who find their strength
in the Lord endure.
That’s a message that needs to be passed on
from generation to generation. You’ve heard the message and embraced it – now pass
it on to the next generation and encourage them to pass it on to the generation
that comes after them. Someone once said that the church is always just one generation
from extinction. You’ve received the grace – pass it on to those who will pass
it on again. The chain has been unbroken for 2,000 years – God will not allow
our generation to break the chain now.
It will be tough. We face hardship and
difficulty, but that for which we endure the hardship and difficulties is worth
it. Soldiers endure hardship for the sake of their country and that’s a
worthwhile cause for which hardship is to be endured. But our cause far
outweighs the value of our country. The athlete endures hardship for a prize –
a temporary victory. We endure hardship for much greater prize – an eternal one
– not just for us, but for those to whom we pass the baton. Farmers endure
hardship for the crops they produce. But the Gospel produces a far more nourishing
crop than any farmer. Endure whatever hardship is required because the cause is
worth it.
The cause is God’s grace. It sustains and
strengthens us. It’s what we are to pass from generation to generation. It’s
why we endure whatever hardship we must face for it.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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