Hardship and Hard Times Are Part of the Deal

# 5 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: This letter is addressed to Timothy, who Paul describes as a “true son of the faith,” which would lead us to believe that Timothy has been personally discipled by Paul, and therefore credentialed as a worthy spiritual leader in the church. The advice in this letter would serve Timothy well, and future generations too. Further, a “true son” is one who has experienced difficult times and stayed the course. Heb 12:7 says, “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” And in Paul's second letter to Timothy, he says, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Tim 3:12) Bottom line is this, A true son of the faith will experience hardship. Jesus said in Joh 16:33b "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We get introduced to Timothy in Acts 16:1-4, Then he (Paul) came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. One of Timothy's first act of enduring pain and tribulation was to be circumcised. We know of course that this was totally unnecessary, but Timothy willingly submitted to it, in order to not be a stumbling stone to the Jews. In getting circumcised Timothy would remove a barrier that might have prevent him from delivering the decrees to the Jewish audience in the region. He was indeed a “true son in the faith,” Not because of circumcision, but because he was willing to endure hardship. In our world today of “cushy” Christianity, we might ask ourselves, what are we willing to endure for the sake of the Gospel?