THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“Establishing and strengthening the souls and hearts of the disciples,
urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith,
and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations
we must enter the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14: 22
Paul strengthened, urged, warned and encouraged the saints.
What’s important is how he did it. He didn’t try
to sugar coat the truth. He was honest with them, transparent.
He made sure what he taught was what he was living out.
He didn’t say, life was a bed of roses. He didn’t try to hide what life was
really about.
When Paul said “it is through many hardships and tribulations
we must enter the kingdom of God” you better believe he was talking
from a place of experience.
Before Paul spoke to the saints about hardships and tribulations look
at what happened to him prior to that talk.
“Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the
crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city,
thinking he was dead.
But after that the disciples had gathered around him he got up
and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left
for Derbe “
Acts 14: 19
It was directly after being stoned that Paul strengthened, urged, encouraged
and warned the saints!
He was real about what was going on.
Are you being real with the people around you?
Are you being transparent about what’s happening in your life
or are you sugar coating it?
Are you living out the advise you are giving out to others?
Bless you friends
Rolain