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| Melinda V. Inman |
What happened to the New Testament followers of Jesus who
used their gifts to serve him? What occurred when they followed Jesus’
instructions to tell the gospel to their friends, neighbors, and society?
They were persecuted; they lost their homes; they were taken
ill; they were shipwrecked, beaten, and scattered. They died. But their eyes
were on Jesus, and they knew this wasn’t their home.
Like us, they lived in an unbelieving culture, but had an
even more hostile government. Yet this was the seedbed of Christianity. We need
not be dismayed by our circumstances. The gospel is not thwarted.
Often we believe that if we obey God, all will be rosy.
We’ll be healthy and comfortable, obtain lavish contracts, and write NYT
bestsellers.
But that isn’t the New Testament model. “Everyone who wants
to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Maybe you’ve used your gifts as a writer for God’s glory,
and your life has looked more like Epaphroditus’, who left home to serve the
Lord by helping the Apostle Paul. Instead, he arrived almost dead; Paul nursed
him back to health and then sent him home.
Maybe publishing hasn’t happened for you. Maybe your health
and finances have been destroyed during this writing endeavor. Maybe you feel
like a failure.
Here’s what Paul said about Epaphroditus’ similar result:
“Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him”
(Philippians 2:30).
He didn’t accomplish what he thought he would, but it
counts. The offering of his gifts was valuable in God’s eyes.
Maybe you’ve been like Timothy. The trials have multiplied.
You’ve realized that strong words of reproof must be written to hardhearted
people. But you’ve quit writing, certain your words won’t be effective and
afraid of the persecution that will follow.
Here’s what Paul said to Timothy: “Fan into flame the gift
of God…For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power,
love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our
Lord…Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (2
Timothy 1:6-8).
Maybe you’re like Priscilla and Aquila whose household was
uprooted repeatedly as they bounced between Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus. Or
maybe you’re like Paul and his team, who were constantly moving.
With all the upheaval in your life, you wonder how God could
possibly use you. Yet examine the biblical model.
Priscilla and Aquila simply served wherever they were. Paul
wrote most of his epistles with constant interruptions, conflicts, and
movement. His mostly Gentile team traveled non-stop, Timothy with a sick
stomach.
They kept using their gifts. They continued to serve.
Like them, we may not know what eternal impact our service
has produced. Like them, our conditions will never be perfect. We will feel out
of control, as if we’re on a wild ride.
This world is not our home. We’re headed toward a better
place. There we’ll see the results.
But here we’re engaged in the same warfare as the
first-century believers, the taking of the best news ever to a fallen world.
Let’s entrust our circumstances into God’s hands, knowing he manages the
outcome and our eternity.
This is our model. At the end of his life, Paul reminded
Timothy:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Nudged
toward evil by Satan, Cain 's hard-hearted hubris results in Abel's murder and
Lilith's broken heart when he is banished, splitting the family and propelling
mankind toward ever-increasing violence as their siblings seek revenge. Crushed
by what he's done, Cain runs, certain he's destroyed Lilith, his parents, and
the entire family. With Satan hounding his every move and no idea of the forces
arrayed against him, can Cain ever find God after he's committed a sin of such
magnitude? Can he ever be forgiven?
Melinda Viergever Inman was
raised in the tornado capital of the U.S.—Wakita, Oklahoma, of
"Twister" fame. There her parents met. There her roots were sunk in a
storytelling family. During years of relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and
heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots and ran from herself and from God. A
journey of trial and heartache brought her home again. A prodigal now returned
to her secure foundation, she writes with passion, illustrating God's love for
wounded people as he makes beauty from ashes. Refuge is her first novel. Melinda shepherds women in church and
in prison ministry and writes inspirational material on her biweekly blog at http://melindainman.com/blog/. With
her family she is involved with Mission India, rescuing orphans and providing
theological and job training for impoverished students— http://rimi.org/.
You can learn more and connect with Melinda here:
