Your Greatest Gift

From the Desk of David Boyd, National BGMC Director

Ever get discouraged doing ministry? Does it seem like life is tough? Do you feel like quitting at times? I’m sure Paul did. Note these verses:

Then they [Paul and Barnabus] returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith (Acts 14:21-22).

This verse seems simple enough. Paul went back to places he had visited to bless those he had reached. Yet upon closer examination one would find that Paul was expelled from Antioch, there was a plot to kill him at Iconium (forcing him to leave), and at Lystra he was stoned and left for dead. Despite this horrible treatment, he returned to each of these places to invest in the new believers.

Was Paul an incredibly resilient leader with a high pain tolerance? No, he was human just like you and me. He suffered greatly from his wounds. Yet he knew that his purpose for living was for eternal consequences. He knew that the new believers in those cities needed his encouragement to stand strong when they suffered persecution. No one but he could so greatly show courage in the midst of difficulty.

There are those who look to you for courage, direction, and support. Your life, invested in others, will pay eternal dividends. Don’t be weary in well doing. Serve the Lord faithfully. Your service is your greatest gift to God and your greatest investment in the eternal.