"For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." (NKJV)
The world is getting worse and worse. Of course, it’s easier to find out all the things that are going wrong due to pervasive mass communication. But regardless, things are getting worse and worse. There are literally wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pandemics, corruption, and all sorts of evil things.
As Christians, how should we respond? There is a natural tendency to want to withdraw and begin to care only for ourselves and our loved ones. It would be easy to start hoarding all of our resources in order to "prepare" for the future. There are even Christians who are moving from here to there (or from there to here) in order to find a "safer" place to live.
Is that how we should respond to the world’s craziness?
Paul lived in a time when Christians faced suffering frequently. Many were poor and without adequate resources for daily living. Others were hounded and persecuted. Paul himself suffered through trials and persecutions as part of his ministry:
"With far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death. Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked." (2 Corinthians 11:23b-27 NRSV).
Paul didn’t just live in the threat of suffering, he lived in (and through) sufferings of all kinds. Yet, his response wasn’t to run away and try to avoid the suffering. His response was to meet it head-on because "to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." His response was to embrace the Lord’s call on his life and to understand who we are supposed to be as Christians.
Why are we here? Once we have accepted the Lord as our Savior, why are we not just miraculously transported to Heaven? Because we each have a calling on our lives . . . and that calling is the same for all Christians! We are to pray and to make disciples. It’s as simple as that. We are to engage in spiritual warfare through prayer (Daniel 10) and we are to go into all the world, making disciples (Mark 16:15-18).
It’s natural to fear suffering and death. That fear is instilled within us, both socially and physically. But as believers, we know that this body is only a temporary home. It isn’t our eternal body nor should we treat it as something that is to be protected at all costs. Are we to be prudent with these bodies? Yes, of course. We are commanded to be self-controlled (Galatians 5:23), but our focus shouldn’t be on trying to maintain these bodies!
"Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." (1 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV).
How do we exercise toward godliness? By being in the center of God’s will. And what is His will? That we pray and make disciples! When we focus on ourselves, on maintaining our lifestyles (health and/or wealth), on trying to avoid suffering, we are focused in the wrong direction! Yes, suffering has come and is coming to many. And where, as believers, should we be? Perhaps the best place might be in the midst. People who are happy and content are often unwilling to listen to the gospel because they are "blissfully" unaware of their need for God’s love. But those who are suffering? Those who are in the midst of trials and suffering are frequently more willing to listen to how much God loves them and wants to care for them. As Christians, we may miss our greatest opportunities for making disciples if we are focused on trying to survive, rather than throwing ourselves in the middle of the chaos and looking to the needs of those around us.
For believers, this life is always a win-win situation. It should never matter to believers that we die. We should live confidently, trusting the Lord:
"So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him." (2 Corinthians 5:6-9 NKJV).
Do we trust Him? Do we truly trust Him? If so, we will walk into situations of peril and hardship with confidence, knowing that He is going to take care of us! It doesn’t matter if we have nothing; it doesn’t matter if we are hungry; it doesn’t matter if we are at risk for sickness or danger or harm. What matters is that we, like Paul, learn to be content in the center of God’s will and trust Him to take care of us.
"For I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11b-13 NRSV).
It’s time for the Church to lay aside its fears and begin to live as if we really trusted the Lord to take care of us. It’s time for us to get an "eternity" view of things and to get serious about doing His will.
© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.
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