Every believer sails on troubled waters. It is the reality of abiding in faith with Christ. While every believer desires to be removed from troubles that either are a nuisance or can shake you to the core, in this dying, corrupt world, we are destined to face troubles of many kinds.
Amidst the troubles you face, the fact that God is with you is the fuel that propels you to keep moving forward, even during times of trouble or hardship. When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you gain the most perfect companion; read John 15:12-17 to learn more.
Often times, it’s easy to tire, lose your focus, or feel inadequate in your faith. You desire to walk the abundant life that God promises through His Son, but it seems like you keep coming up short. You are tired of the loneliness you feel. As you pray and wait for the Lord to move in your life, you find yourself battling disappointments, and you begin to question God. You are tired of unanswered prayers and the same old thing day in and day out. You begin to wonder if you are on the wrong path.
And your faith dims.
Believers in the Bible faced these same troubles and hardships. Everything we face today is no different than back then. So, how did the early believers keep their faith strong and steady? Well, in the New Testament, God gave the early believers a man named Paul. He cared deeply for his brothers and sisters in Christ. When he began his ministry, God grew his team. They would go and do three things to help believers remain strong and steady in their faith:
They went to strengthen them.
They went to encourage them.
They went to keep believers from being shaken by their troubles and sufferings.
You can read about this in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were called by God to go and minister to other believers. This was their job, and this is your job as a believer also.
We need each other to keep our faith strong and steady. We need each other to keep our faith alive and well. We need each other to keep Jesus in the forefront of everything we do, lest the devil creeps in to prevent this from happening. He has been on this rampage of despair since God kicked him out of heaven!
Now, more than ever, we must not let ourselves or our fellow believers settle in to what has become familiar and comfortable. We must fight the urge to love Jesus just a little bit while loving the world a little bit more. We are called to become disciples of Christ. Individually, you walk as one with Jesus, then, your job is to help others to walk as one with Christ also.
If we don’t do our jobs, then the devil will succeed at luring many to their demise one day. Every believer has a job to do. Look at what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 3:5, “I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.” May we never let Satan have his way.
You have a job to do. I have a job to do. We are called to help others to remain strong in faith and stand firm in the Lord; see verse 8. Paul leaves you and I with two things that will help us to fulfill the job that God has called us to: 1. Have great joy as you enter God’s presence, and 2. Pray earnestly. No one can fulfill the job description given by God without total dependence on His Son.
May God one day say to you, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (See Matthew 5:21)
Carol J German 