(Editor's Note: Today's Engage blog was written by Jonathan Stagg.)
From October 24 - 28, Engage and Global Outreach International are partnering together to present the Orange Letter Campaign. This is your opportunity to reach out to Christians all around the world in a tangible way.
Many of these Christians are missionaries in cultures that persecute them for their faith and are facing trials that Christians in the United States have never experienced.
We are asking you to write short letters of encouragement and prayer that are full of scripture. Remind these Christians that they are not alone in their trials and that the Church around the world is lifting them in prayer.
To send your letter, visit www.engagemagazine.net.
The Apostle Paul was one of the most famous missionaries in all of history. Though once a man of violent passion, God transformed him into a humble servant. He once tortured Christians for their faith, but after a radical encounter with Christ, he was persecuted for his own. This man penned about half of the New Testament, initiated the first missionary journeys, and opened the door for Gentiles to be added to the church through salvation. Many things could be said about Paul, but the passage that best captures his spirit is found in Philippians:
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:11-13 KJV).
What is the key principle in this text? Contentment and faith in Christ regardless of the circumstances. Paul endured some very harsh suffering for his commitment to Christ, yet the Scripture never mentions that Paul ever wavered in his faith. He never doubted God or even complained about his suffering. On the contrary, in Acts 16 he and Silas praised God through singing after they had been beaten and thrown into a prison cell. Paul’s life showed that he had truly learned to be content in all things.
Times may change but the heart of man does not. The Bible states that the heart of man is deceitfully wicked. We are guilty of sin and equally worthy of death, but Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Missionaries understand this and it drives them to reach the lost for Christ. Due to this sinful nature of man, many have rejected Christ. The hatred of ungodly people has been fueled against believers throughout history. Sadly, many believers and missionaries have been tortured and killed for sharing the hope of the gospel. It can be very discouraging for missionaries to continue in their work amidst such persecution and disbelief.
Paul’s life is an example to missionaries through his unwavering faith in a faithful God. No matter what happened to him, whether he was stoned, beaten, imprisoned, or mocked and had his message rejected he, “Press(ed) toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). Paul’s life is also a testimony to God’s faithfulness. God never abandoned Paul. He was so close to God that death held no dread for him. He would rather be in heaven with God than here on earth, but for the believer’s sake, he was content to stay on earth and lead them.
Through Paul’s life, we learn that even those who live righteously and honor God in all things will still have trials. God never promised to take away all trouble, but He promised to never leave us or forsake us. We must remember that Christ will be with us wherever we are.
