TGIF 

2 Timothy 2.3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

 

Paul was constantly encouraging Timothy to remain faithful to the Gospel and his calling.  Christianity was in its infancy still and persecution was normal.  Peter even taught it as being so normal that if a Christian was not being persecuted, they needed to check their "light" and their witness.  When you consider the struggles of the early Church, it is amazing the grace of God that was so freely bestowed to enable and sustain the work that was to be done.

When we consider struggles, persecutions, hardness/hardships...I wonder if what we consider struggles could compare to what was endured in the first century.  For us, a struggle may be a night without air conditioning, a 10 minute wait at the burger place, having to wait while a funeral passes, run out of milk with a shopping center 5 minutes away...get my drift yet?

Hardship...no one will hire you because you are a confessor of Jesus Christ.  Hardship...you are throne into prison without a trial for preaching Jesus.  Hardship...you are tossed into an arena to face a bear or lions for the entertainment of the godless masses.  Hardship...your family disowns you because you are a Christian.  

Hardship...well, the struggle of the first century Church ought to help us realize just how blessed we truly are these days.  Instead of thanking men, why not give praise to the One who is the Giver of all that we are blessed with?  Instead of complaining about what we don't have, how about we thank Him for what we do have?  OR we can just admit that we are spiritually soft and lazy and thank God that we were born in this century instead of the first century.

EVERY Friday is a good day to be a child of God irrespective of the circumstances.

Selah