Endure Hardness
Devotions/Partners
2 Timothy 2:3 (KJV): “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
COMMENTARY: Being a vibrant, on-fire Christian in the workplace requires spiritual fortitude, conviction and strength. Don’t be naïve; you work in the midst of a global, daily spiritual battle between the
forces of Light and the forces of darkness. There are NO neutral zones! Every hour of every day, we are in this battle. We will always be in this battle until the Lord calls us home. In the meantime, we are exhorted to be good soldiers of the Cross for a lifetime.
APPLICATION: I was saved at a Christian business breakfast in June of 1985. Shortly after I was saved, I read the parable of the soils and I made a promise to God that my mind and heart would be fertile ground for His Word. I told him that I wanted to bear much fruit, and over the decades, He has honored this desire and commitment.
However, I can fervently say that without enduring hardness, my Christian journey would not be as fruitful as it has been. I have experienced many scary times that could have filled me with despair and caused me to quit.
But what Satan has meant for evil, God has turned for good. I’ve had clients, including several Christians, fail to pay their bills and nearly destroy me financially. I’ve had some clients threaten and curse me. I’ve had some of our best clients leave because I’m too evangelical (at the time, one client was responsible for 42% of our revenues). I’ve received crank phone calls and emails, and significant criticism. Through it all, God has been faithful. Over and over again, He has turned apparent tragedy into triumph. By the grace of God, we’re still standing on the sure foundation of Christ and daily giving our time, talent, tongue and treasure for His Kingdom.
I share this brief testimony to encourage you…BE FAITHFUL. If you are currently facing a great hardship of any kind, endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. In the final analysis, He will, He will, He will give you the victory!
Joyfully yours,
#62
For Further Exploration
For further exploration about Proverbs 19:1 (KJV)，read Proverbs and Work from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.
