Pastor’s Corner: “Five Minutes Longer”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) – 16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
At the end of World War II, Winston Churchill was attending a dinner. One man stood up and said, “At the Battle of the Bulge we had evidence that the British soldiers were braver than the Nazi soldiers”. In his forthright manner, and way with words, Churchill stood and replied “That’s not true. The Nazi soldiers were just as brave as the British soldiers. But the British soldiers were brave for 5 minutes longer”.
Anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time has been through a season when God seemed far away and they were tempted to give up. So what is the point? Why persist in our faith if it doesn’t make our problems go away? The reason is simple: The point when we feel the most inadequate is the point at which we are most dependent on God.
One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that our value to God is not in our strength. His ability to work best through us in our times of weakness is counterintuitive. In every other area of life, we are praised for our ability. But the point of the Christian life is to direct praise to Someone else.
When following God is simple, easy and clear, we have little temptation to give up. Our obedience makes perfect sense. But when we persevere through confusion, doubt and pain, we demonstrate something unique to those around us and offer something of great value to God — our humble submission.
As difficult as it is to understand, God can use your pain for his purpose. Don’t be surprised if He is using tough times in your life to test your faithfulness. Faithful people keep on keeping on when other people choose to give up. Faithful people are diligent and determined. They are persistent. They change their perspective and focus on God’s promises in his Word.
If you’re not dead, God is not done. Don’t quit just before the miracle. When we feel like there is no reason to press on in the Christian life, but we choose to stay faithful in spite of our feelings, God can use us in amazing ways.
In what area of your life are you most tempted to give up on God? God is more interested in what you are becoming than what you accomplish. If you are facing difficult times right now, I challenge you to write this verse down and memorize it: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton