Strength is not tested or demonstrated during times of ease. Rather, it is during times of adversity that one finds out just how strong he is.
God has a calling on each man’s life. Furthermore, He enables men to fulfill their appointed work. Man, however, must be strong and DO the work.
Elijah was a good man who loved the Lord. He could not bear the thought of the people of God rebelling against the Lord. Although misguided into thinking that he was the only remaining person who cared about the things of God, he certainly did care. Elijah took things personally when the people forsook the Lord’s covenant, threw down His altars, and killed His prophets. Elijah constantly pleaded with them to make things right. The apostle Paul felt the same way, but his feelings even extended to a jealousy over the people of God (2 Corinthians 11:2). Unfortunately, few people today seem to take such a personal interest in the Lord or His people.
In an environment where strife prevails, an angry man thrives. The Bibles points out that this type of person looks for ways to stir up strife. Perhaps he asks questions to get opinions involving others to gauge any dissatisfaction with them. He then turns any small frustration into a larger problem. Perhaps he uses other methods, but the end goal remains the same; he wants to stir up strife. He does this not only in the lives of others, but in his own heart as well. Instead of focusing upon reasons to rejoice in the Lord, he looks for reasons to be frustrated. All the while, he is walking in the flesh and missing out on the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Learning how to be the right kind of steward can seem difficult, but never without reward. The Lord Jesus taught and explained His parables of stewardship. In these teachings, He presented the faithful steward receiving his reward at the time of accounting for his stewardship. The apostle Paul confessed this truth in 1 Corinthians 9:17 when he said, “if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward.” Paul knew God had a special calling upon his life and also knew he would stand before God to give account for his service. In like manner, each believer will one day stand before the Master (Jesus Christ) to give an account of his stewardship. Those who have served as good stewards will receive reward, while those who failed to do so will suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
The Bible has many examples of reputations that were changed. For instance, Moses grew up in Egypt, specifically in the house of Pharaoh. One day, when he was a grown man, he witnessed an Egyptian smiting a Jew. Moses killed the Egyptian in order to protect his kinsman. Bad news travels fast and Moses immediately developed a reputation as a short-tempered killer. He learned of this when he attempted to intervene during a dispute between two Hebrews. After the Pharaoh found out Moses’ identity, Moses ran for his life and spent the next forty years in hiding. Eventually, the Lord spoke to Moses and called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into a land of promise. Moses failed to lead the people into Canaan, but he succeeded in changing his tarnished reputation into something that God commended (Numbers 12:3).
Undoubtedly, there are many personal traits that serve as the building blocks for a good reputation. Yet, the scripture plainly identifies one particular trait that serves as the cornerstone of a good reputation: Faith! Hebrews chapter 11, commonly known as the “Hall of Faith,” chronicles how the saints of old developed good reputations by and through faith. Though these men and women performed great works, the works were accomplished through faith. The Bible plainly declares that it was by faith that “the elders obtained a good report” (Hebrews 11:1-2). To reemphasize this truth, the Lord repeated this thought in Hebrews 11:39 when He said, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith.”
Loyalty may seem to go unobserved but eventually yields unexpected and momentous dividends. The story of Esther’s uncle uniquely exemplifies this point. Mordecai sat in the king’s gate in Shushan. One day, while he sat in the gate, he overheard two men plotting to kill the king. When Mordecai heard the news, he immediately repeated these words to Queen Esther, thus foiling the plot. The two men were tried, found guilty, and ultimately executed. At first, Mordecai’s loyalty seemed to remain unnoticed, but one night the king was troubled and could not sleep. His servants, by divine providence, read the record of Mordecai’s loyalty to him (Esther 6:1-3). Soon thereafter, Mordecai’s loyalty was rewarded (Esther 6:4-11). His loyalty most likely saved his life and spared the lives of countless Jews (see Esther chapter 7).
False teachers are extremely dangerous because they undermine truth! Their rotten fruit may not surface for some time, but when allowed to continue unchecked, they will deceive individuals, whole families, and good churches. Paul warned Titus that such teachers had already seen some success and that their mouths must be stopped. Regretfully, whole houses had already been subverted with the false teachers still at work. A similar situation is recorded in Acts 15:24 where the saints of God were “troubled” by the words of false teachers. There is no telling how many of God’s people have walked away from sound doctrine because of false teachers. Worse yet, how many souls are burning right now in hell because they trusted in a false gospel?
The church at Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-4). These men were missionaries seeking to win the lost and edify the children of God. They travelled far and wide on their first missionary journey and then returned to Antioch to offer the believers a report of the work (Acts 15:30). Soon thereafter, Paul determined that he and Barnabas should make a second trip to check on the growth of those to whom they previously ministered (Acts 15:36). Barnabas sincerely desired to accompany Paul but also thought it wise to take John Mark (who had previously quit on Paul and Barnabas). Paul disagreed with taking John Mark and the Bible describes that the “contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other” (Acts 15:39).
