Once again we see Paul is having to defend himself for what he does and who he is! I wonder why the Corinthian church continued to question Paul for his motives and his apostolic position. However, Paul must state the obvious by saying, "In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.". He then goes on to give defense for his actions by a summation of the type of troubles, hardships, and calamities which he has faced. Additionally, he says, "We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.".
As Paul makes his defense, it makes me wonder at what point would Paul break? Apparently from this list he wouldn't. For his tenacity and endurance I applaud him but wonder if I would be as stoic and strong to remain loyal in the midst of such atrocities. Honestly, there are times when I (we) are less thuan stoic and strong. In fact, too often as the tough times roll on we tend to cower under the weight becoming overwhelmed and even bitter. However, I cannot forget the words of Paul to the church of Philippi as he said, "I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Paul recognizes the temporal nature of these hardships and the eternal bliss of what is to come. Therefore he willingly endures the toils and troubles to discipline himself for what lies ahead. The critical word is discipline which requires commitment. Do you have discipline? Are you committed to our God?
Takeaways
1. Hardships will always accompany our trek in life.
2. Hardships are not overcome without discipline and commitment.
3. Hardships are temporal but God is eternal.
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