None of These Things Move Me
By Marsha Iddings
Acts
These verses came as a great encouragement to me this week. I was becoming discouraged and really needed this. Here we have the Apostle Paul knowing that afflictions and trials of his faith are coming and his response is, "But none of these things move me..." His eye was on the goal. He wanted to finish his race with joy. He wanted to finish the ministry God had given him to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Most of us are not persecuted for our faith in Christ, but we have other trials that test our faith. Many of us have the chains of physical impairment and pain that keep us from doing things we want to do or should do. However, God has given us this course to run and none of these things need to move us from His purpose.
Think for a moment. What are your bonds and afflictions in life? Is it your health? Is it the health of a family member? Perhaps it's a boss that is hard to deal with or some other person in your life that is difficult. Maybe it is financial difficulty. Whatever it is, you could consider it to be your bonds and affliction.
Now think of Paul's attitude. "But none of these things move me..." Whatever your bonds or afflictions are, determine in your heart like Paul that none of these things will move you away from your faith in God, and away from finishing your course with joy or your ministry that the Lord has given you. Keep your eye on the goal.
So often, we get side-tracked and begin to look at the course someone else is on and begin to complain that their course is so much easier than ours. God has given you the course you are on for a reason and if you get side tracked comparing your course to someone else's you won't finish your course with joy. So we need to stay in our own lane and keep our eyes on the goal.
Think about your ministry. Perhaps you feel you don't have a ministry. Think again. We all have a ministry. In whatever we do we are to do it to the glory of God to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Even if we just clean toilets, it's the ministry that God has given us and we can do that job in such a way that it testifies the gospel of the grace of God to others.
The challenge this week is to think like the Apostle Paul did about our hardships and trials and say with him, "But none of these things move me..."
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