“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” – 2 Corinthians 4:1
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The Scriptures command believers to faithfully live for Christ in the culture they live in. We are instructed to share the Gospel and be ambassadors of Christ wherever we are. This involves influencing the world for Christ and shining the light of Christ in our culture.
In America today, Christians live in a post-Christian culture. This is a culture where biblical values are increasingly seen as irrelevant and even regressive. This is why when Christians stand for Biblical truth, we feel as if we are swimming against the cultural tide.
Believers who faithfully represent Christ will experience difficulty, pressure, and even persecution; just like our brothers and sisters in Christ all throughout human history. Living courageously for the Lord in a world that is hostile towards God can tempt believers to lose heart and even leave the faith.
In the Apostle Paul’s day, believers were suffering intense persecution for following Christ. Yet, he wrote to the Corinthians and called them to persevere until the very end. If anyone had the right to quit following Christ because of persecution it was Paul. Even after he had been beaten, stoned, whipped, driven out of towns, shipwrecked, reviled, and abandoned, Paul persevered. He stayed faithful to the Lord.
Paul never lost heart, and because of his perseverance, the Lord brought about great fruit. The Lord used him to write the majority of the books in the New Testament, many of which were written while he was in prison. He also used him to spread the Gospel all across the world. Let us not lose heart as we boldly live for Christ in our culture. Remember that God is working in the midst of all of our hardships in ways we could never imagine, as He did with the Apostle Paul.
LET US PRAY…
Father, empower us to be faithful, bold, and courageous ambassadors for You in our culture. Lord, even though hardships will inevitably come as we live for You in a culture that does not honor You, help us not to lose heart. Father, we praise You that our effort to glorify You in our world is never in vain. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.