Keep it up,
and don't let anyone intimidate
or silence you.
Acts 18:8 MSG
As of last week, our blog has 100 posts. I consider this a huge victory when you take into consideration the time and dedication that it takes to maintain a blog on a very regular basis. As I have been reflecting on all the different posts that have been added to the blog, it is interesting to see the approach taken by all of us who have contributed. At times we have a certain topic that God has placed on our hearts, which we gladly share. There are other times where God speaks to us through our every day reading of his word, not necessarily focusing or looking for a specific topic.
Today is definitely one of those “God speaks through regular reading of his word” times.
As I've been in the book of Acts, there have been different things that have stuck out to me this time around. I have also enjoyed reading these passages in different translations, not because one is more accurate than the other, but because I enjoy the different nuances of language and find myself coming away with slightly different perspectives on verses that I've read many times.
While Paul was in the city of Corinth, he found himself frustrated with its people. He had been acting out the father’s will for his journey there and was continually being met with opposition and criticism. He found himself ready to call it quits. He even went as far as telling the people that he was through with them, and that their blood was on their own head, not his.
One night God spoke to Paul in a dream: "Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you. No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." Acts 18:8-11 MSG
That was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half, faithfully teaching the Word of God to the Corinthians.
As I took some time to think about this passage, it is obvious that Paul needed a victory in his corner. He had become frustrated, ready to have nothing to do with the people of Corinth. Through this dream, God gave Paul the victory he needed and provided an opportunity for Paul to feel encouraged, strengthened, and ready to continue the battle.
Nowhere in scripture is Paul reprimanded by God or others about his attitude toward the situation. There are those of us who live in a world where we feel like it is a sin to feel defeated, to be done with whatever the current challenge is. I am also guilty of allowing guilt or shame to creep into my life when I feel defeated, often looking for a way out of my situation.
Sometimes in life we need the small victories. So many of the battles that we face are huge, and usually not quickly fought. I have the opportunity to teach music lessons, and there have been times when my students are noticeably frustrated with their progress—or lack there of. Those are the times that I decide to call an audible in the lesson (that's football talk for "changing the game plan") and tackle something a little easier. This is not to say that the student isn’t capable of hard tasks, but sometimes they just need to feel like they have accomplished something, which tends to give them a renewed sense of motivation and encouragement. We sometimes need to be reminded of our smaller victories in order to give us the extra boost we need to continue fighting the larger battle at hand.
Some important reminders as we consider the strength in the small victories:
- Pray for God to provide opportunities to win smaller battles in the midst of fighting the larger ones. As we continue to see little victories won, we can find strength and endurance needed to continue to move forward.
- Ask God to reveal the small victories that we have already won. There are times when we have several victories to draw encouragement from, we just don’t always have the right perspective to recognize those wins.
- Actively choose to trust that God is faithful, even in the times when we don’t see the progress, or little victories. God calls us to be a people who trust in him, regardless of the tangible victories that we can see. Sometimes the only option we have is to keep moving forward, and trusting in a God who will sustain us through the battle.
As we sing songs of worship from week to week, there is always an element of declaring the praise of a God who is faithful and true, through easy times, through difficult times. In those times of complete surrender, worshiping side by side with other believers, my prayer is that God will continue to give us the endurance to finish the race and encourage one another in the same way. I pray that God opens our eyes to see what he is accomplishing through us, allowing us to feel those moments of encouragement and to press on.
Be encouraged,
Ryan
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