“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.”
2 Timothy 2:3-7 NLT
In a time of great sacrifice and persecution, Paul calls upon Timothy to endure. This endurance is not personal in nature. It is in essence relational. He is admonishing Timothy to come alongside him in ministry and join with him in the blessings of experiences the hard work that accesses God’s available blessings. In a westernized and modern culture, this can be hard to visualize. But Paul was speaking of living out blessings during Roman rule. To call a Roman government or prison cell a blessing is unfathomable, let alone daily living in Rome. Yet, the blessing of spiritual fruit blooming in the life of people was absolutely worth the trials of living in Christian service. The fruit of a blossoming image bearer from a dead sinner is nothing short of fantastic. When ministers are called, it is precisely this type of work they should be called too. They are called to reanimate the dead. If we could be part of bringing back, even a single person, into life, wouldn’t it be worth it?
JOSH McGARY. COM 