EDNA PAYNE Trust God through hard times

Today, we are many -- as servants of God. We live in a world in which morals and values have gone amok. People are seeking some kind of spiritual relief on the everyday, mundane streets of life. Many people want something different -- an answer to the madness that wreaks havoc in our lives. As ministers/servants of God, we are to be that something different that people are searching for. Even within God's church, there are those who seek to understand as they stumble and fumble along the path of righteousness.
Today, more than ever before, the ministry of God has become the mockery of the world, with its scandalous accusations. Many of God's servants have strayed into the unthinkable -- adultery, homosexuality and other forms of sexual immorality, embezzlement and espionage. Others have been more subtle and local, but inexcusable just the same. With so many pressures upon us in ministry to succeed and to have the world take notice, it is so easy for us to lose sight of God and get caught up in our own resolutions.
Ministry has its own territory. And that territory must not be compromised. Hardships and afflictions are a part of ministry. They will come and go throughout our lives. Paul seeks to show us that we can, just as he has, endure all hardships that we encounter in ministry. But Paul goes on to encourage and show us how we are to endure and what we may experience as a result of our endurance -- negative and positive. We are called of God to serve Him and His people. We are to have impeccable restraint because God has given us everything we need to endure, endure, endure -- in ministry.
As ministers, we are to conduct ourselves in such a way as to not give anyone -- in or out of the church -- any reason to lay fault at our doors. Paul iterates that everything we do -- the hardships that we face, how we endure in the face of adversities, and how we fight the powers of this world -- will determine the integrity of our ministries.
Paul encourages us ministers to endure all hardships with purity, kindness, knowledge, and patience. He reminds us that we can do so simply because we have the Holy Spirit, God's genuine love, the Word of Truth and the power of God. What a powerful combination! We also have the weapons of righteousness -- the sword and the shield -- with which to engage in spiritual warfare. Paul goes on to iterate that the ungodly, worldly people will see us in stark contrast to spiritually discerning believers -- dishonor vs. glory; bad report vs. good report; impostors vs. genuine persons; unknown vs. known; dying vs. living; sorrowful vs. rejoicing; poor vs. making others rich; having nothing vs. having everything.
As we entrust ourselves to God as servants of God, we can do all these things by the power of God, so that no one will be hindered in coming to Christ or serving Christ as a result of our ministries.
During hardships
As ministers of the gospel, we are going to go through some traumatic experiences. Many of us are wondering how Paul could endure such atrocities that have come upon him. But we are encouraged by Paul that we have a God who is faithful and relentless. It is so easy for us to get caught up in worldly situations and mindsets when we take our focus off of God and the ministry to which He has called us. Oftentimes, we tire of suffering and enduring, and in our humanness we seek the "easy" way out -- we allow temptations to come into our sanctuaries and we don't have the strength to not adhere to them.
God is our Salvation, our Rock and our Fortress. Be encouraged by the sufferings and endure in gladness because we have a God who is able to succumb all things. Remember, you represent the people of God and God Himself. Let us be the examples before our churches and the world, no matter the cost. God is definitely in the mix. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We do have this assurance.
XEdna Payne is an ordained minister and an evangelist/prophetess. A Youngstown native, she has master's degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary in Evangelism and in Christian Formation & amp; Discipleship.