Do Not Lose Heart

Scottish audio version here

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. NIV

At this time last year, our church underwent some serious trouble. One of our staff members had terrible personal problems, which in turn affected the whole congregation and created a small division. It took a great deal of focus, energy, and determination to endure and overcome the fall out. A lot of prayer was said and eventually the tide turned. We lost eight members, but by the end of the year, we still managed to have an overall gain of eighteen people. God’s mercy enabled us to carry on our ministry and mission at Erin Presbyterian. Through His grace, we did not lose heart.

Since then, we’ve undergone recovery. We’re still picking up the pieces and are only beginning to restart some projects that fell by the wayside. For the first time in a long time, we’ve let God carry us, as well as lead us. It’s been a humbling experience, but in the end it will prove to be a worthwhile one.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians so long ago, he was addressing them as someone who had been through a lot of trouble, grief, and pain. He had been beaten up for his faith, cast out of different cities, shipwrecked, and almost lynched on several occasions. He had also been arrested, thrown into jail, and was now awaiting trial. If anyone had a right to lose heart, it was Paul, but he also relied upon God’s mercy to get him through the bad times, as well as the good ones.

He was also writing to a church that had its share of problems. The Christians at Corinth were going through a cultural war, where members of the congregation were struggling with adhering to Christ’s demands, as opposed to accepting the world’s ways. They wanted to be holy, but not different; they aspired to be faithful, but not unfashionable. Paul reminded them of their special calling in order to help them get back on the right track. And even though he was hundreds of miles away from them, Paul embraced them in his heart and loved them back to the Gospel.

Today, you may be doubting yourself, your faith, your church, your purpose, your personal ministry and mission. Remember that God is merciful and that through Christ, He will sustain you. Do not lose heart, for remember, He who called you to do His will is patient, gracious, faithful, and forgiving.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we feel so unworthy, so unprepared, and so faithless at times to fulfill the ministries that You ask us to undertake and accomplish. We get frustrated and impatient, bedeviled and beguiled by our fears, our doubts, and our problems. Grant us Your grace to sustain us through our worst experiences and most troublesome of times. Lead us by Your love, so that we will not lose heart, nor let go of our calling. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Fight the Good Fight

Scottish audio version here

Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (NIV)

I wonder what Paul would have thought about buying food in a supermarket and seeing glossy magazines at the check outs that extol the virtues of the latest diets? I think he would have had a hissy fit and banned Christians from being in such places. But now that I think about it, it does seem kind of weird that in the very places where we pile up our carts with all sorts of junk food, we’re also enticed to buy weekly diet magazines. I guess that’s the way the world and marketing works. We buy the food because we’re hungry and we purchase the magazines because we feel guilty.

Even in Paul’s time, people were the same. The enemies of Christ were known for their gluttony, excesses, and over-indulgence. But what Paul was worried about was that Christian people were being led astray by the world, so that there was hardly any difference between Christ’s followers and unfaithful people. The church was enticed by society to adopt earthly standards instead of heavenly ones.

And that’s been the fight in every generation since Paul’s time. We’re constantly striving to keep our faith and maintain some sort of different standard, whereas the world pressurizes us to be like everyone else. Some Christians have even bought into the old heresy that all religions are alike and that we are all heading towards the same goal – the happiness of heaven. But we are not alike, which is why Christians are not liked in most secular cultures. We are different for we have a different Teacher, a different Savior, a different Leader to follow.

Now, don’t get me wrong – we aren’t perfect, spiritually superior, or absolutely sinless. Christians still have faults and make mistakes. But we try to overcome our selfish ways; we aim to please God rather than ourselves; we attempt to practice faith through confession, forgiveness, compassion, and love. Our minds aren’t always on earthly things, for our hearts are filled with heavenly hopes. As Paul expresses it: “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our lives belong to You and we try to serve You each day. We know that we are prone to failure and make many mistakes. But we also realize that You have the authority to forgive our past misdeeds, and that You bestow a mercy which frees us from our regrets, enabling us to begin again. Be with us this day and renew our spirits. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.