By: Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
I don’t know about you, but all the hatred & lies & violence & pandemic & prejudice in the world is really getting to me. I just want to say, “Beam me up Lord, take me home!” The Apostle Paul felt the same way, and after all the beatings, stonings, rejections, and shipwrecks, he had good reason. But what did he say? “For to live is Christ, but to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor … nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” He chose the high road. Whether the world knows it or not, it needs us. We have eternity to live in glory, only a few years to make a difference here. We aren’t all world changers, we don’t have to be, we only need to be willing to try to change the world around us. These are hard times, not a lot of love out there (where’s Jackie DeShannon when you need her?), they were for Paul too, but what did he say in 2 Cor? “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed … for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us as a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ” or a little pain will result in a whole lot of gain. For many of us, our “tents” are wearing out ( I upgraded to a yurt). We can’t do what we used to do, but God knows that. He knows all our struggles and He will help us through them and to do what we can. The point is, don’t give up, keep your eyes on the eternal not the temporal, you’ll be beamed up when the time is right, don’t let the world weary you, and keep on keeping on!