This week in our Monday morning prayer meeting we reflected on the following scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (The Message)
Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us… Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all…
I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. … The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.... Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!
This week let us pray that we are all able to enter in to the wide-open spacious life God is calling us to; to receive this blessing of life by not giving up, by continuing through hard times, tough times, bad times, when we’re praised and when we’re blamed. Let us remember that God desires so much more for us then we could even imagine but we must trust Him through the circumstances before us, not giving up because in due time our perseverance in these maters will reap a harvest of freedom in our lives.
Let us continue because our work is validated in the details. God loves that we have chosen to serve Him in this way—choosing to see those who are vulnerable, to speak and care and pray on their behalf—but we’ve only fought half the battle by showing up to do this work. Let us pray that we can go all the way and choose to do it through His power and strength, never giving up, working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love, in sunshine and in shadow.