Success without suffering . . ?

Success without suffering  .  . ?

2 Tim. 1: 11-12a

FOR THIS GOSPEL [that we are ridiculously loved by God]

I WAS APPOINTED [not by any person but by a divine call from God]

[to be] A PREACHER [in the public eye to show clearly what the good news of this Gospel really is]

[and to be] AN APOSTLE [pioneering and laying new foundations]

[and to be] A TEACHER, [dedicating myself to pouring into others]

AND FOR THAT REASON I SUFFER AS I DO. [because he wasn’t content to talk or think like everybody else - he was persecuted; and because he was different, he ran up against opposition, misunderstanding, ostracism and sometimes violent persecution]

-----------------------
Pray the Word:

Lord, we pray that we, too, may be willing to stand, willing to be tested, willing to endure, willing to resist the temptation to give up our appointment from You  .  .  .  understanding that there is NO SUCCESS WITHOUT SUFFERING. Help our hearts to believe that the resources that were available to Paul that caused him to succeed in his calling (even though he suffered) are available to us, and they are still sufficient for the task before us.