Being Faithful In The Midst Of Suffering
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
Acts 16:1-2, NIV
The first time Paul visited Lystra, he was stoned and greatly persecuted. It wasn’t an easy journey for him. In Acts 14:19, it was written, “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” If these people thought that Paul was dead, then it was evident that he was in great pain. But then, he never stopped preaching the gospel. His heart was still on fire despite the negative things he experienced.
This is the reason why he was able to visit the churches that God allowed him to build, one of which was in Lystra, where a young man named Timothy lived. Scholars believed that it was possible that this young disciple saw Paul’s suffering when he first visited their place. The way Paul dealt with His suffering greatly impacted Timothy’s faith.
What happened here was like a domino effect. In Acts 8:1, it is stated that Saul, also known as Paul, approved and witnessed Stephen’s suffering, and it was possible that the faith he saw in Stephen’s life greatly impacted him. Later, Paul encountered Jesus and became his disciple. Now, when he tried to preach the gospel, he also went through persecution, just like what happened to Stephen. And this time around, it was Timothy who also witnessed his suffering.
Both Paul and Timothy witnessed the suffering of a faithful Christian, and it greatly impacted their faith. This means that God can use our suffering to change someone’s life. We never really know the people who will be blessed by the way we dealt with our suffering. Our obedience in the Lord even in the midst of challenges and pain will impact someone’s faith.
That’s why, let’s be faithful to God even when our hearts are breaking. Let’s focus on honoring His name even if we have problems. In this way, we will be able to influence others to also believe in Him despite the challenges that they experienced in life.
Prayer: Father God, thank you so much for leading us closer to your heart. Thank you for reminding us to be faithful even in the midst of storms. We pray that you will continue to guide us to your will. Help us Lord, that we may choose to glorify your name despite the pain we experienced. Please give us the grace to honor you and bless your name especially when we face problems. This we ask, in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
