Allegiance via Hardships

In praying about what God wanted to share today one thing kept coming over and over.  I stand back and take a look at what is going on around me in the people’s lives that are dear to me. I even take a look at those lives that are far from me whom I don’t know that well and what I’m seeing everywhere is the hardships everyone seems to be going through in one form or another. 

2 Corinthians 6 talks about Paul’s hardships yet he stays faithful to the ministry God has called him to.  The New Living translation says this “We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.  We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”

I listed the entire passage because as I read it, it made me think on my own hardships and am I living in such a way as these passages state? I had to read it again. and again and then view my walk w Christ.  We know what we are called to do and how to live in front of the world once we choose to follow Christ.  That goes for the same when we are in our own personal hardships if not even more so.

A quote that was said at the women’s conference that I had written down says “am I living for my allegiance?”  Meaning, in my darkest hours and I feel the world is closing in on me, am I being faithful to God? Am I being faithful to what I stand for?  That is a deep question we must ask ourselves.

Hardships in our lives are a true test of our faith to the world. It is also an opening for witnessing and sharing our testimony to those who are going through their own hardships.  That is so often an open door from God.  The world is watching us to see if we are remaining faithful to “what we preach”, no matter what season WE are in.  We’re told we will have hardships in this world (Jn 16) – but as the Amplified version says
“For I (Jesus) have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]  Selah.