1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good
fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when
you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Yesterday I was reading about two pastors and their
wives who were arrested in Iran about 9 months ago for preaching the gospel.
They have been charged with sedition and have endured many beatings whilst they
have been in prison. One of the women also miscarried her baby due to the lack
of pre-natal care in her jail. These four young Christians are fighting the good
fight and truly suffering for their faith.
In the Western church, we are just fighting. Issues
have become incendiaries; theological tussles are creating turmoil; and church
problems are preventing Christ’s peace from being embraced. The question we need
to honestly ask ourselves is this: are we fighting the good fight or just
battling ourselves?
When I see the horrific destruction in Japan and read
about the blatant persecution of Christians all over the globe, it makes my own
problems and conflicts seem trivial. I ask myself two important questions: Where
is Christ in the midst of this mess? What is the Spirit really doing across the
world?
Fighting the good fight may not necessarily mean being
doggedly dogmatic and solidly scriptural. Perhaps in today’s world it means
fighting against despair, struggling with survivors, and mightily loving those
whose losses are overwhelming their lives.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You live and walk among the ruins
of Japan, as well as the isolated cells in Iran. You fight for the faith by
embracing the shattered souls and helpless hearts of people everywhere. Your
Spirit seeks the lost and weeps with those whose lives are wrecked. Enable us to
be empowered by Your empathy and to conquer despair with compassion. In Your
Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart
traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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