DAY 89: Pressed, Perplexed, or Knocked Down?

Read: II Corinthians 4:1-12

Think: Most of our daily readings during 100 Days of Faith in Action have been focused on Paul’s journeys, his ministry, and the complexities of his relationships with coworkers and the early church. In all honesty, Paul has been more than candid about the extreme difficulties involved in living the Christian life. Yet he states in II Corinthians 4:1, “…we never give up.” In II Corinthians 4:8, he continues his never-give-up attitude with the following famous words, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”

Act: In this chapter, Paul doesn’t hesitate to tell the Corinthian church that “we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus.” His candid presentation of faith (its realities and complexities) reminds me of how Roger, my husband, opens his Pre-Marital Class. He tells couples that though they are infatuated during the dating or engagement period, marriage will be different and difficult. Roger cautions, “What came naturally during dating (sacrifice, unselfishness, patience) must become intentional after marriage, when the infatuation hormones have settled down!” Christianity is like marriage. It takes work to stay committed, remain faithful over one’s lifetime, and intentional or immovable when inevitable trials occur. Today, journal about your resolve to remain faithful to God. Let God (and others) know that, though you have been pressed or perplexed or knocked down, you know that you are not—and will never be—abandoned by God.

Pray: Dear Jesus, show me any area of my life where I am tempted to lose heart or where I need more of Your strength to help me. I know that when I feel pressed, or perplexed or knocked down, I can call on you, and You will help me. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 88: Clearly, you are a letter…

Read: II Corinthians 3:1-18

Think: Paul writes in II Corinthians 3:1, “Clearly, you are a letter from Christ…” This is a call by a pastor to a church to “represent the Lord Jesus Christ” because others are assessing God by their lives. I recently began rereading William Wilberforce’s classic book, Real Christianity (1797). Wilberforce was a British politician, a Christian leader of his generation, and an outspoken advocate for the prohibition of slavery. His book challenged the status quo of the Christian men and women of his era. Wilberforce ended his book with the following challenge, “Let true Christians…boldly assert the cause of Christ in an age when so many who bear the name of Christian are ashamed of Him. Let them accept the duty to serve, if not save, their country. Let them serve not by political interference, but by that sure and radical benefit of restoring the influence of true religion and of raising the standard of morality. Let them continually pray for their country at this time of national difficulty.”

Act: William Wilberforce and Paul, Christian leaders who lived centuries apart, had the same message for the church: the way you live within your society impacts how others view Christ! One British commentary suggests these verses serve as both inspiration and warning, adding, “…every individual is an open letter for Jesus Christ. All Christians, whether they like it or not, are advertisements for Christianity. The honor of Christ is in the hands of His followers.” Print or write out Wilberforce’s quote. Then circle each word or phrase that reminds you of yourself. Underline each word or phrase that reminds you of our 21st-century culture. Put a box around each word or phrase that inspires you to become more like “a letter from Christ” for your generation.

Pray: Dear Jesus, help me be Your living letter. Let me represent you by the way I live— with integrity, consistency, purity, wisdom, and patience. Remind me how often people evaluate You by the way I live. Give me the strength to sacrifice my comfort for a greater purpose. I love You. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 87: A Sweet Perfume!

Read: II Corinthians 2:12-17

Think: We’ve been reading about Paul’s missionary travels for almost 90 days! Daily, we’ve seen the struggles that he and his companions have faced while sharing the Gospel. No matter if they had been well-received or quickly rejected, or if they’d been embraced or persecuted, they kept going. They knew their purpose — they were being used to “spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.” He admitted, though, not everything smelled “like roses” saying, “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.”

Act: Paul is breaking the news to us! We simply don’t know how a person will react to the Good News until we share it. For example, you might feel compelled to share the Gospel with someone, but they appear overly confident or angrily resistant or deeply disparaged and you get intimidated. Their “look” might not reveal what their heart is feeling—deeply wounded, extremely lonely, or very desperate for God. Please, never underestimate the power of the Gospel to save a life, soothe a soul, or heal a broken heart. Share the Good News willingly and unashamedly with the words God gives you in that moment. Don’t worry about how they will respond to the message. Whether they consider the fragrance of the Gospel to be sweet or dreadful—simply allow God to use you to spread His knowledge of Christ. Consider your obedient life as a wonderful fragrance rising up to God!

Pray: Dear Jesus, give me more and more confidence to share You with others. Remind me that my words don’t have to be perfect. Let me tell my story of how I came to know You and how deep Your love is for those who call on You. Give me great opportunities to be Your messenger. I love You so much. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 86: Relationship Woes

Read: II Corinthians 1:12-2:11

Think: In both letters to the Corinthians, Paul, the great evangelist, refers to his rocky relationship with the church. His words, at times, are difficult to read because of the dissensions, hurt and pain the church has caused him Yet Paul chooses to divert his attention away from dissension and toward the Lord Jesus Christ, saying He is, “…God’s ultimate ‘Yes,” He always does what he says. . . .It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.” 

Act: Can you think of a recent time someone in the church hurt you, or when someone you loved and respected disappointed you, or when someone you admired caused you to distrust them? (If you can’t think of a recent time, you are probably very young!) Paul gives us three insights on how to move past relationship woes: (1) Because it is inevitable that you will experience disappointment, opposition, or misunderstanding with people you love, you must look to Jesus as your source of strength. He is able to give you the ability to stand firm and mature in your faith. (2) It’s not all about you! You have been given an assignment to share in Christ’s mission on earth—this requires working together with the body of Christ on earth, even though it isn’t easy. (3) God’s Holy Spirit has been given to you to “rule” in your heart, to guide your thoughts, to give you “marching orders,” and remind you of His eternal promises. The Holy Spirit wants us to maturely address and overcome our relationship woes! Today, personalize this passage. Do you have a pending or unresolved relationship “woe?” Ask God to divert your attention back to Jesus. Ask Him to show you how He would have you put your faith in action so that, as Paul concludes in this chapter, “. . .Satan will not outsmart us.”

Pray: Dear Jesus, you know my current relationship woes. You know where I’ve been hurt; You know whom I’ve hurt. Give me the confidence to know when to speak and when to remain silent.  Remind me to forgive as You forgive—willingly and undeservedly. I need You today, Lord, to fill me with an extra measure of love, humility and Your precious Holy Spirit. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 85: Comfort Others Through Prayer

Read: II Corinthians 1:1-11

Think: You do not want to miss out on the first eleven verses of II Corinthians—they are SO encouraging! Paul begins this letter in gratefulness to God for being the source of all comfort. Most importantly, he wants the reader to “connect the dots,” saying, “He [God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort that God has given us.” He describes a very practical way to comfort others—through prayer. Praying for someone brings them into God’s presence if they are too weak or too fearful to do so. Prayer pleads—intercedes—on behalf of others by those who have a stronger faith and have seen God work. Prayer shows a person how to take their troubles to the Lord, speaking plainly to God on their behalf. 

Act: On August 26—39 years ago—I was in trouble My family lived 1000’s of miles away. I had just appeared in court for driving and drinking. The outcome didn’t look good; my life was crumbling. So I drove to a church looking for help. No one on the church staff was available to meet with me, except the janitor! What were his qualifications for helping me? He, too, was an addict. Only a few months earlier, he had admitted his problems to God and others, and received comfort and rescue. On that day, he was in the right place at the right time to offer God’s comfort to me! First, he told me how powerfully God had changed his life. This gave me hope. Next, the janitor prayed over me and I was filled with peace. After our initial meeting, the janitor checked in with me over the first few hours, the next few days and regularly over the next few months. He was as close as a phone call and a prayer! Today, be alert and ready to pray for anyone who needs God’s comfort. Don’t hesitate to be someone’s janitor today!

Pray: Dear Jesus, bring someone into my path who needs to be comforted, who needs to rescued from trouble. Keep me mindful all day long that you might need me at any moment to comfort someone in the ways you comforted me when I was in trouble. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 84: A Wide Open Door for a Great Work

Read: I Corinthians 16:1-24

Think: In the closing chapter to the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “In the meantime, I will be staying here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. There is a wide open door for a great work, though many oppose me.” Without the Word of God as a constant guide and template, we might be tempted to think that God’s work is usually accomplished without difficulty, trials, or intimidation. But Paul, Peter and John’s New Testament letters as well as the Old Testament leaders, such as Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah, Ezra, and Esther revealed that when they were given work to do for God, there was no guarantee they would not face opposition! 

Act: Consider the wide open door that God has given you to do a great work! Are you member of a school or on a sports team that needs to be supported in prayer? Are you part of a church that needs more leaders? Are you the co-worker in an office in which many of the staff do not have a personal relationship with Jesus? Is God prompting you, today, to step through the wide open doors for a great work that He has set before you? What is the wide open door for you? _______________________ Don’t grow weary in working hard for the Lord. Instead, as Paul writes, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be Strong and do everything with love.”

Pray: Dear Jesus, show me my wide open door for a great work that You have planned for me to do at this season in my life. Give me the discernment to see the pitfalls, the courage not to waver in my faith, and the integrity to endure until I accomplish the very plans you have for me. You are worthy, O Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 83: Thank God!

Read: I Corinthians 15:29-58

Think: While reading I Corinthians, you often feel like Paul is battling with leaders , instructing the immature, and repeatedly addressing the same issues! His letter seems filled with very little praise and lots of warnings! In today’s reading he writes, “Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all!” Why does he seem to never lose his zeal to preach about the things that touch every life—sin and death? He concludes, “For sin is the sting that results in death and the law give sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Act: Sin is not an easy (or fun) topic to talk about and yet Paul does not shy away from it. Why? Sin steals, kills and destroys love, intimacy, faith and joy. One of my greatest revelations as a young Christian was that I didn’t have to sin, I didn’t have to give in to it, I didn’t have to be consumed by it. Instead, I could take all my passion and zeal and put it toward chasing after God and doing good. I began to look for ways to do the right things, be with good people, and make God proud of my choices. It was exhilarating. And what would I always say after I knew God had given me courage to do something good or right? I would sing or shout, “Praise the Lord! Thank God!” Today, make simple choices to stay away from sin. Make daily choices about friends and activities that would make you strong and immovable in your faith. And every time God helps you make the right decision, say, “Thank You God for giving me victory over sin!”

Pray: Dear Jesus, help me to make simple, moment-by-moment, conscious choices today that give You the power over sin in my life. Give me a strong and immovable faith by giving me courage to say “no” to _________________________. I love You. Amen.

Be full of faith today!