Enduring Hardship

Enduring Hardship

It is possible to be beaten until you are numb.
You can smile and praise the Lord and say, "Jesus, I my cross have taken," for a while. But then you are slowly beaten until you are numb, and you get into a sort of a rut where you cannot fight back.

Timothy had been with Paul a long time, and Paul had been in so much trouble so much of the time. Timothy was tagging along behind in the same trouble, and Paul had noticed a little temptation to be ashamed of the cross.

Essentially, Paul was saying, "Don't be ashamed of the cross. Don't shrink from the affliction of the gospel. God has not given us the spirit of fear."

Then in Second Timothy 2:3 Paul said, "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." It is as though he might have detected in the young man a little temptation to recoil a bit from the hard life he was called into.

Paul knew that Timothy was basically a sound man. He knew Timothy had been reared in a Christian home. He mentioned Timothy"s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. The grandmother and mother were both Christians, and good ones.

Young Timothy had learned and become a Christian early in life. Paul knew that he was basically sound. But Paul was afraid that the pressure of things and the boredom of always being in the minority might put Timothy in danger of leveling off.
A situation where you are tired of hypocrisy and persecution within and without the church and all you want or are tempted to do is enjoy/cultivate your personal relationship with Christ in peace!
It's words like this that truly describe how I feel at times and ask "Lord, how much longer"? Then I remember the steps taken prior to Our Lord getting to that Old Rugged Cross and the sacrifice that was finally made. Thank you Lord for the reminder and for your unfaltering Love, grace and mercy. 
Father, I pray that through the power of your Holy Spirit living in me that you will guide my thoughts, guide my heart, guide my actions all to be pleasing to you. 
I want to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. I can't do this with my own strength, help me Lord to in Jesus name! 
Amen! 

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