When we read the Bible, we find that those who believe in God were always facing challenges.
They were always living in a fallen world, often under rulers who did not agree with their beliefs and alongside those who mocked them for their beliefs.
So how did those who loved God make it in such a fallen world?
They were devoted to God. They lived. They battled sin. They worked hard. They struggled. They sacrificed. They sought God. They loved and served others.
And sometimes, even if the rulers and people in charge didn’t agree with the beliefs of those who loved God, the rulers still honored them and supported them based on their character.
Remember Joseph?
He was a strong leader and Pharaoh made him his right-hand man.
How about Daniel?
King Nebuchadnezzar grieved over having to throw Daniel to the lions and rejoiced when Daniel was unharmed.
Recently I read about Nehemiah, the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. He was a Jew who was grieving for his people in Jerusalem. The king saw a beloved servant grieving (which wasn’t too cool to do in front of the king during those days), and when Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah why he was sad, Nehemiah gave him a straight answer:
I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. (Nehemiah 2: 2-6)
Did you see that?
The king had every right to say to Nehemiah, “Suck it up and get back to work!” Instead, the king honored Nehemiah’s request. He respected Nehemiah enough to let him go and do something he believed in doing.
Until the return of Christ, His people will always be struggling. We’ll always face adversity. And our leaders won’t always be Bible-believing Christians.
So how do we make it?
We do what people like Joseph and Daniel and Nehemiah and Paul and Peter and John did.
We remain devoted to God. We live. We battle sin. We work hard. We struggle. We sacrifice. We seek God. We love and serve others.
***
Contact Hands and Feet Marketing today for a customized consultation to discuss your church marketing needs.