Young People's Group

BE STRONG

by Pastor Mitch
April 17, 2015

Facing The Challenges Of Life And Ministry

It has been said by many that today’s youth are soft and don’t know how to take hard things. This does not need to be true with us. Paul had taught the early Churches to be overcomers in the midst of the challenges and testings of life and ministry. He also taught young Timothy, his spiritual son, to be strong as part of the next generation leadership. It was not easy for him to follow in the footsteps of his spiritual father. Paul noted his tears as he sought to serve the Lord. There must have been challenging moments for him. There may have been occasions when Timothy struggled with fear and timidity because Paul wrote of how the Lord had not given him a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). He also wrote to him to not be ashamed of the testimony of Christ, even if it meant suffering for it. Timothy needed to be even stronger spiritually in order to do these things.

Learning To Be Strong By Means Of His Grace

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 
2 Timothy 2:1

It was with the above context that Paul challenged Timothy to be strong.

1. Being Made Strong

The idea of being strong is not so much we enabling ourselves to be strong. It is rather the Lord making us so. It is seeking Him that He strengthens us.Ephesians 6:10 also denotes the idea of being endued with strength in the Lord and in the full extent of His might as the churches sought to make a stand against the forces of evil. It was also written by Paul that God has given us the Spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It is the Spirit of dynamic power that enables us.

2. By Means Of His Grace

This strength from the Lord is attained by means of the exceedingly great divine grace. The word “in” would be better seen as an instrumental idea. We can be made strong by means of the grace that is found in the person and sphere of the Lord Jesus. Paul wrote in the text of 2 Corinthians 12:9 that the Lord’s grace was truly sufficient for him in times of weaknesses. His strength is made perfect in his times of weaknesses. Let’s learn to rely on the Lord’s grace and strength to be strong.

Finding Grace To Endure Hardship

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good solider of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” 
2 Timothy 2:3-4

One of the ways to rely on the grace of God for life and ministry is to have a very strong mindset. Paul challenged Timothy to have the perspective of a strong soldier. He was meant to share in suffering hardship as a soldier of Christ with Paul. Roman soldiers in wartime learnt to endure lots of hardship. The Romans were one of the fastest moving armies during those times as they forced-marched from one place to another. The Christian soldier can also learn to endure hardship together for Christ. He is not to be entangled with the things of this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). He must be single-minded in engaging in spiritual warfare. He must rely solely on the grace of our Lord to do this. Young people, let’s seek to have the strong mindset of a Christian soldier. Life is not going to be easier. It is going to be tougher. Let’s learn to have a tough mindset in life and ministry. Let’s learn to endure hardship by means of His grace as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

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