2 Corinthians 6:3-6

³We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

Potholes

         Imagine: You have important appointment. You estimated your time of arrival to your appointment. You even added time of possible delay. You’ve decided which path would be the fastest way to take. Unknowingly, the path you chose has many potholes. Motorists were slowing down. You cannot speed up. How do you react? Will you be upset? Will you be prayerful?

         Spring is coming, and potholes have appeared. Potholes, accidents or road repairs may delay motorists to reach their destination. Similarly, we may desire to reach our chosen destiny but surely, there will be roadblocks that may delay our travel or cause us to detour and follow another path.

         Roadblocks may expose our character. We can be upset or we can be prayerful. If we pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit, roadblocks won’t disappear instantly, but we’ve peace instead of complaints. Reflect on what it proclaims on Psalm 40:5. ⁵Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

         The Lord showed many wonders in Israel, and King David testified of his wonderful adventures with God. Before David became king, he was just a lowly shepherd, yet even his family despised and looked down on him. His simple status made David trusted the Lord even more. And why not?

         The Lord anointed David as the greatest king of Israel. He saved him from the mouth of a lion and bear. David defeated the giant Goliath. He was married to the daughter of a king. He safely escaped all threats of his life.

         How do you describe your life? Is it complicated, ordinary or simple? Seriously reflect on what it announced in Psalm 29:7-8, ⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

         Refreshed soul senses gladness of heart. If we trust and obey the law of the Lord, our life will never be simple again. Even if we may or may not become king like King David, when we obey the instructions of the Lord, we can testify of the wonderful adventures we can venture into with Christ.

         Surely, God designed for us our best life adventure. And he wants us to explore it. We trust Christ Jesus as Lord. We testify about his gracious love. And as servants of God, we share the message of reconciliation. May God shows us practical steps and which path of service we should take.

1.  Path

            ³We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 

         Apostle Paul testified that they avoided faulty blunder in their ministry. They put no obstacle. They did not block anyone’s path. They behaved as worthy servants of God instead. They endured difficult challenges. Despite difficult concerns of life, they were not shaken. They just persevered.

         During his last missionary journey, Apostle Paul was  falsely accused before government officials. The false charge against him was investigated by two governors of Judah including King Agrippa but they found nothing to legally imprison him. Yet, Paul did not seek freedom. Instead, he appealed to Caesar. Together, let’s reflect on what it narrated in Acts 26:28-32.

         ²⁸Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” ²⁹Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” ³⁰The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. ³¹After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” ³²Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

         Apostle Paul took advantage of the investigation of charges against him to testify of his encounter with Christ. He elaborately described his personal transformation from persecutor of Christians into preacher of the gospel of Christ. When he appealed to Caesar, it was a divine opportunity for him. He traveled to Rome freely without paying travel and lodging fees.

         Paul was imprisoned in Rome waiting for a chance to face the Roman emperor Caesar. Did the Lord plan imprisonment for Apostle Paul to make disciples among the imperial guards? He testified in Philippians 1:12-14:

         ¹²What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

         What is more brutal situation than imprisonment? Even if you are a thrill-seeker, you would never desire to be thrown into prison. As opposed

to exploring adventurous environment freely, prison has limited access.

         Apostle Paul desired to proclaim the message of reconciliation, but the Lord made him limited by prison, why? Effective ministry is not limited by situation. It’s by God’s grace we gladly testify for Christ. God’s grace is sufficient to all who obey him. Apostle Paul practically proved it. He was never shaken by difficult ministry challenges including imprisonment.

2.  Prison

     ⁵in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 

         First century Christians struggled with beating, imprisonment or riots. It happens in all generations somewhere. Hard work, hunger or sleepless night caused by natural calamities or man-made calamities like war. News reports of those cruel problems are happening somewhere on earth.

         There is never shortage of social concern. News reporters may even exaggerate their articles for subscribers to pay attention to. Silently we pray and don’t want to share personal matters or situational issues in the family.

         Sometimes, it’s much better not tell our problem, why? Maybe, when they come to know our difficulties, they might be troubled also and forced to help. Are there people who do not want to take advantage of others’ help?

Gracefully

         Someone behaves gracefully despite having personal concern. Some of those struggles include, financial shortage, work related issues, family concerns, death of closest friends and relatives and health failure. When the person grieved silently, nobody suspected. The person maintained calm demeanor and endured almost all unpleasant situations. How could that person remain calm, pacific and tranquil despite many difficult concerns?

         We can learn from what Apostle Paul advised in Philippians 4:4-7,

            ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

         Whether good or bad situation, to rejoice always is godly command. How can we rejoice always when difficult struggle disturbs us? How can we sense peace of God when life is terrible? When plans won’t materialize?

         Can we still have peace? Won’t expectation turn into frustration?

   Most often, we prefer to solve our problems independently. And we only remember to pray when we cannot find solutions to our problems. Why?

         To solve problem by our own effort independently feels great. Anyone can be deceived to think that way. We can appreciate ourselves and say, “Good job, self!”Independence from God is actually deceitful scheme. Well, it denies the invitation of Christ in Matthew 11:28-30, ²⁸Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

         Jesus Christ is the Lord of lords. He knows all things around us, even if we don’t tell him. So, if we’re tired of carrying our burden, we could pray for Christ’s help, and he will give us rest. How does Christ help us anyway? We read the Scripture and learn from his instructions. The Scripture reveals practical steps to gratifying rest in Christ. Have you explored that yet?

         We may not understand it well but we can sense peace from God. Even if we cannot easily explain why we sense his peace. We feel restful. How do you explain to children what Jesus Christ declares in John 14:27?

         ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

         Christ offers peace. In him, we can have peace instead of trouble.

         Certainly, anyone complains about problems. It’s natural for anyone to lose composure when problems attack. But if we are composed and relax despite difficulties, observers will be intrigued and wonder why we’ve got composure despite difficult struggle. And we explain and testify to them.

         We can testify about our peace in Christ with sincerity and purity.

3.  Purity

      ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

         We serve God with sincere love, kindness, patience and purity. The Holy Spirit inspires us to trust Christ. He also inspires potential believers to trust him as Lord and Savior. Our mandate is to testify for Christ and share the message of reconciliation to God. We don’t force anyone to believe.

         Ask the Holy Spirit to produce love in you for lost souls, and you won’t hesitate to inform relatives and friends about your transformation in Christ.

         When we give loved ones the most precious gadget you can afford, they may sense temporal gladness and gratitude and thank us somehow.

         But when by faith in Christ, we lead friends to reconcile to God, they’ll be thankful for all eternity. The gift of eternal life in Christ is the best gift. May the Lord impress that reality in our heart. May we internalize it and prayerfully share with loved ones the message of reconciliation to God.

Four Men

         If you have so much food, you want to share it, right? There’s great famine in the city of Samaria. People inside Samaria were hungry when the Arameans surrounded their city. Then, the Lord caused confusion among the Aramean soldiers, and they ran away for their lives. They left behind their food supplies in their tent. Seriously, let’s reflect on what it narrated in 2 King 7:8-9, ⁸The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. ⁹Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

         The four men discovered good things. They did what was righteous. They reported it. What prompted them to go quickly and report to the royal palace the good news about food supplies? They expected punishment. If they didn’t report the abundant food they discovered, what crime could they commit? Why would they be punished if they kept their discovery secret?

         Or did the four men expected punishment from God? Will the Lord punish us, if we don’t share to loved ones the good news of salvation?

         Let’s reflect on what warns us in James 4:17, ¹⁷If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

         The Lord commanded us to share the message of reconciliation as practical proof that we are reconciled to God. We know that it is good to obey this command of the Lord. Therefore, if we neglect this duty to share the good news of salvation in Christ, we commit sin. But, when we obey the Lord, we receive his blessings inclusive to obeying his instruction.

         The Lord wants to bless us, and his instructions are practical means for him to fairly bless obedient believers. Meaning, the more we obey the Lord, the more blessing we receive practically and even spiritually.

         We were reconciled to God by faith in Christ. Christ is our Lord and Master, and we are his servants. And as servants of God, we prayerfully talk intentionally with enthusiasm about our adventure with Christ. Amen!

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