THE LEGACY OF FAITHFUL ENDURANCE
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila....
2 Timothy 4:19a (NLT)
After more than fifty years in ministry, I've learned something that is both sobering and deeply personal: starting well is not enough. I want to finish well. I've seen men and women I respected serve God faithfully for years, only to stumble, become discouraged and lose their way. I've also watched many go through disappointment, betrayal, failure, sickness and seasons when nobody seemed to notice, and they kept going. That scares me. Not because I doubt God's faithfulness but because I know my own heart. I know that years of ministry don't automatically mean I'll be faithful tomorrow. I still have to choose Jesus and guard my heart. I still have to keep showing up.
One of my lifelong goals has been that when I finally see Christ face to face, He can look at me and say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21)." That matters to me more than anything I could ever accomplish in ministry. Almost anyone can be faithful for a season. The real test comes when the excitement wears off, hard times hit, recognition disappears, and nobody is watching. That is when faithfulness becomes more than a decision. It becomes a way of life.
That is what impresses me about Priscilla and Aquila. Twenty years have passed since we first met them in Acts 18. Churches have come and gone. They faced incredible hardship, and life and ministry were not what they expected or hoped for. Paul is now nearing execution. Yet there they are. Still serving. Still opening their home. Still leading the church. Still married and faithful to one another and Christ. And now, expecting death any moment, Paul sends them a simple greeting: Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. Just their names. No impressive titles. No list of accomplishments. No mention of a massive ministry. Just faithful servants and friends. In that same chapter, Paul gives us his own testimony: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful (2 Timothy 4:7, NLT).
That's the goal. Not to be impressive or famous, or even remembered. To finish faithfully.
APPLICATION: Ask yourself: Am I still faithful? Keep serving. Keep loving your spouse. Keep following Jesus, even when nobody notices.
PRAYER: Lord, when life gets hard, and I'm discouraged and tempted to quit or give up, help me make the hard decision to stay faithful to You, my spouse, my friends and my church. Help me finish the race with honor, and one day hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?