Have you ever gone through hardness, and you know the reason why? It was your own stupidity or sinfulness that brought on the difficulty you are facing. Enduring hardships in life is much easier when you know you are in the will of God. As Paul wrote a “dying letter” to his dear friend Timothy, he encouraged Timothy to endure the hardships of life. At this time when Paul was imprisoned and awaiting execution and therefore enduring hardness himself, Paul carefully identified himself to Timothy at the beginning of the letter as “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (2 Timothy 1:1).” At other times, Paul used this title as a means of commanding obedience to his message, but in this letter to his weary friend Timothy, it was a teaching tool to show Timothy that he knew he was in this hardship because of his God-given role as an apostle. You, too, my friend, must know that you are in the center of God’s will. Then, if hardship comes – and it will come – you can endure that hardness because you know you are exactly where God wants you!
If you want to know more about enduring hardness, why not join us on Wednesday nights at 7pm for our study?