|
|
Pluggin' Away at Runnin' the Race
By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
© February 4, 2011
www.godsbreath.net
Copies of this and other homilies available by sending requests to: mikefarrar@aol.com
Pluggin' away is like other sayings we have like, "keep your nose to the
grindstone" or "keep your shoulder to the wheel." These phrases all
express a person's persistent determination to keep working hard to
accomplish an arduous task or to endure an overwhelming trial. Life
often finds us in these situations and Christians are not exempt from
attempting to keep their faith strong and resilient as they deal with
tough situations. God allows these events to come into our lives to grow
us, mold us and sometimes to test us. He loves us the way we are, but
does not want to leave us that way. God wants us to be who we were
created to be, a servant of His who is disciplined, holy and faithful.
Out of this dedicated commitment to Him we seek to love and serve
others. Our Heavenly Father shapes us into this person by placing us in
difficult situations at times so that our faith will be tested and
matured. He asks that we trust Him and that He will get us through the
trials we face. He gives us these opportunities to obey and serve so
that we can benefit from the experience and become stronger in our
faith.
Paul, the apostle, was a man God placed in such arduous situations. He
was used in many ways to spread the gospel and minister to others. If
Paul had chosen to slack off from his calling as a man of God, Christian
history would be significantly different. He traveled the world and had
many exciting and miraculous experiences. He wrote the majority of the
New Testament and ministered all over the known world. He spoke to
thousands of people and many of these were powerful rulers, but this did
not come without cost.
In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul talks about what he had gone through to serve his Savior. Listen to what he endured.
"Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three
times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been
constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger
from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles;
in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and
in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often
gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone
without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I
face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."
Paul is attempting to communicate his physical and emotional endurance
credentials to the Corinthian Christians. They were a prideful people
and he wanted to share with them his dedication to the Lord's work to
verify his commitment and qualifications of faith. But Paul was also
humble and later in the chapter he states, "If I must boast, I will
boast of the things that show my weakness."
So we see that Paul was tenacious at continuing to serve God despite
what struggles God allowed to take place in his life. He was fully
committed to keep "pluggin' away" at spreading the gospel, preaching the
truth and living for his Savior.
Earlier in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 he speaks of what he and other
Christians were doing in their walk as a Christian to be an example for
Christ. He states, "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that
our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we
commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles,
hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard
work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience
and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech
and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right
hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good
report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as
unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having
nothing, and yet possessing everything." We should learn from not only
Paul's example but also first century Christians what true commitment
may cost us as we live for Christ.
God wants to bless us with peace, joy and physical comfort, but He also
wants us to be mature and committed in our faith. Growing this type of
faith means enduring hardships that come in our lives. Life is full of
struggles in many ways. Physically we deal with illness and disease.
Emotionally we are often mistreated by others, sometimes even by those
who should love us the most. Psychologically we are tortured at times by
manipulation and abuse against us by people. Spiritually we are
attacked by Satan and his demons. The sinful flesh will also drag us
down to the depths of sin if we let it. The pressures of life will push
their heavy thumb upon us to attempt to get us to cry "uncle." But
despite these trials, God will help us prevail. God never puts us in a
situation that He knows we can't handle with His help. Often we feel we
cannot endure one more second or minute of the hardship we are in, but
if it remains in our lives it means God knows we are up for the task
with His help. He never tests us beyond our endurance that is fueled
with His holy power. We can do it, and we can keep "pluggin' away" at
the life we are called to live, the race we are meant to run with His
strength.
Each of us as a Christian has been given and entrusted with natural
abilities, talents as well as spiritual gifts and these are meant to be
used as we grow in the Lord. We also have the free gift of salvation
made possible by the death of Christ on the cross. We have been given
the gift of the Holy Spirit to live within us to guide, comfort and
intercede for us. We have been given God's Word to instruct us. We have
been given the privilege of becoming a member of God's family where we
can receive support in the local church body we belong to. So much has
been given to us and much is required (Luke 12:48). We are called to
live a holy and pure life, living as Christ lived, serving and
ministering to others as we share the truth of the gospel. So all of us,
no matter what God has entrusted us with, need to keep "pluggin" away
at "runnin'" the race we are called to run.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 talks about this race that we must keep
striving to run with God's help. It says, "Do you not know that in a
race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way
as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into
strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do
it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a
man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I
beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
Paul did not literally "beat his body," but he did attempt to train and
subdue its passions so that he could live the life of holiness to which
he was called. We have the same challenge. We must run the race just
like Paul, subduing our bodily desires, strengthening our weaknesses and
growing in our faith. We do this by maturing in our faith through the
trials we face.
Paul had a close relationship with the Lord and the Holy Spirit would
miraculously direct him in his journeys. Acts 20:22-24 tells of how he
was directed by the Holy Spirit where to go and what to expect when he
got there. It says, "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to
Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in
every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are
facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I
may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me —
the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." We see in the last
part of this passage that Paul again, has a tenacious desire to keep
"pluggin'" away at "runnin'" the race set before him by the Lord.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 tells us how Paul ended his race. "For I am already
being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my
departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on
that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his
appearing." Let us follow Paul's example that was modeled after that of
our Savior. Let's keep "pluggin'" away at living a godly life, bringing
glory to God as we minister to others and tell them of the salvation
available in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who
endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary
and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted
to the point of shedding your blood."
Hebrews 12:1-5
The life of a true Christian is a "long obedience in the same direction."
|
|