Endure

This last week Mike and I attended Refuge--a conference put on by Student Life for youth ministers and their wives. Needless to say, it was a refuge. It was a blessing to be ministered to and encouraged.

A scripture that was used in a particular sermon was 2 Timothy 2:3-6.

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

The two words "endure hardship" stuck out to me. As the pastor was still preaching, I scanned through the book of 2 Timothy. Paul says the same two words again in chapter 4 and that got me thinking...

This concept, I think, is foreign to some believers. We all have those friends who say, "Well, ever since my grandmother died, I don't believe in God." Or, "Well, since I lost my job, I just don't trust God anymore." Or, "Well, since my husband has been unfaithful, God doesn't love me anymore." What Bible are they reading?!! In fact, the Word says quite the opposite--and it comes straight from Jesus' mouth in John 16:

"In this world you will have trouble."

God never says that we will have it easy. And, those friends we have that claim that they don't believe in God anymore because their 87 year old grandmother has died, or some other horrible thing has happened, have bought into a lie. The Lord is straight up with us all throughout the Scripture, like in 2 Timothy--He tells us that life WILL get rough sometimes. That horrible circumstances will happen. That hearts will be broken and our lives may be in shambles at times. BUT, praise God, every time He tells us this truth, He follows it with a promise...like in John 16...

"But take heart! I have overcome the world."

In my short life of 26 years, I have encountered some hardship and wondered why God chose to inflict hurts/battles/trials on me. But no matter how bad it hurt or no matter how hard it was to come through, He was always faithful (and He will continue to be faithful). That, my friends, is what I hold on to with all my might while I am enduring the hardships that come my way.