6:3 We give no
offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in
all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much
patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in
imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by
purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by
sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the
armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor
and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers,
and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known;
as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not
killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making
many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
A good friend of mine is sick. Without God's intervention she
is dying. Yesterday she wrote me to tell me that when she woke up in the
morning she was in so much pain that she couldn't make her body get out of bed.
She could reach her cell phone and called her neighbour who got her an
ambulance.
Why am I telling you this? Because even in such a condition
she remains unchanged.
Her last lines to me were "I remembering to be joyful
always, pray continuously, and give thanks in all circumstances.
Have a good night! Blessings & love,
*****"
Like Paul and his companions she is living for Jesus, living
above, beyond, and outside of her present circumstances.
It was also Paul who wrote in Romans 8
"18 For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us... 21 because the creation itself also will be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God."
This life is temporary at best. Like the waves of the ocean
it is always changing, sometimes calm and peaceful, others times churning and
violent yet in the end both crash against the shore.
What is Paul's point keeping in mind the context? Hurts will
come. People will do awful things to us. Forgive them. Let it go. Recognize it
is not them but evil working through them. If they are sorry don't withhold
grace from them. Will it cost you? Of course it will but nothing compared to
what we have all cost our Saviour yet His grace flows full and free. Where sin
abounds grace abounds all the more.
Paul was simply saying "We continue to serve and
preach Jesus no matter what. Some are for us, some against us. Some days are
good, others are horrible. Regardless of sunshine or storm we keep going,
treating all as children of God."
His last line is my favourite: "having nothing yet
possessing all things..."
When we have Jesus what can possibly be more? What could
possibly be missing?
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