“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
2 Timothy 1:12
When I think of the faith of the generations that have gone before us, | see that it is there to inspire, to motivate, and to believe the impossible is possible with God. The stories of the past, although we are a part of them because we come from them, are not what we contribute. The Lord has chosen us for this time and this season to walk out what He has chosen for our generation to add to the story that began before the foundations of the world. When we read Timothy, we are reading a letter from Paul to one of his spiritual sons. He identifies the faith in Jesus Christ that lived in Timothy’s grandmother and mother, but also the faith that was burning inside of him.
Paul is clear to state that we must actively fan into flame the Spirit of God that is inside of us. As Paul is sitting in prison writing, being through everything that he has been through, he desires to share with Timothy the immeasurable greatness of following Christ even in His sufferings. He is also quick to mention that we cannot do this in our own flesh, but it is by the power of God that we can face the challenges. The Christians who are walking most like Jesus are walking in persecution and suffering. I am sorry if that offends you. We can get lost in the message that only good things happen to Christians — more money, bigger cars, no problems; but that is not Bible. Read it! Because of Paul’s calling to be a herald and an apostle and a teacher of the Gospel, he is called to suffer. But listen to Paul’s full thought — suffering is no cause for shame! When you know your God, when you know the one in whom you have believed, the one who is true to His word, the one who is able to make the impossible come to pass, you are able to declare with confidence that He will guard our hearts until His return!
What have you entrusted to the Lord? What have you given to Him to hold onto until His return? Have you given Him your trust? He is asking for you to trust Him. Any praise of man is worthless if you are not in the will of God. Jesus is worthy of our lives. He is worthy of our hearts. Have you given Him your all? Do you believe that what you are going through can be used to the glory of God? Can you believe that all you have sacrificed for His Name is worth the reward of Him?
Don’t miss that this is an exchange. We entrust God with the above, while He entrusts us with faith. We need the Holy Spirit to activate the faith necessary to walk out that which has been set before us. Do not hesitate. Do not shy away from the situations where the world will try and shame you for your faith in Jesus. Do not be ashamed of the Gospel! It is the avenue by which death was destroyed and life and immortality was brought to the awareness of man! Thank you.
