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St. Paul School of Leadership & Discipleship "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" I Corinthians 11:1
The St. Paul School, with Frank Eiklor, Eileen Young and Cecilia Contreras)
Remember, loneliness can be the heart’s way of reminding us that we are really lonely for more of the Lord. When you realize that, you’ll see why loneliness can be a blessing used by God to help you grow stronger in Him. You and I will know lonely moments. For some, loneliness seems to last for an eternity. Loneliness can kill. But if you know how to look beyond that emotion and feeling that leaves you drained, you will find the outstretched arms of Jesus inviting you to another perspective. That’s when you will discover, as I have many times, that loneliness can actually be a blessing in disguise. For many people, loneliness eats like a cancer. So many things can leave terrible loneliness. The death of a mate or other loved one. The heartache of divorce. Learning one has an incurable disease.From America to Argentina to Austria—from Zaire to Zambia to Zimbabwe—people from every nation suffer from terrible loneliness. Paul was in prison, yet he was free. He knew that the sovereign Lord Jesus was in charge of his life. Paul could witness to the crowds in public or to a jailor in a prison cell. Jesus Christ had died for Paul—and no price was too great to pay to be a follower of the risen Lord. Each of us is an example—good or bad—to those around us. Each is an open book to family, friends and acquaintances who are reading our lives. Standing up for Jesus Christ is not easy. Resisting temptation is not easy. God never promised an easy road for true Christians. After all, it was not “easy” for the Father to offer His beloved Son Jesus to be crucified for our sins. It was love! We covered chapter one in a previous lesson on having a shepherd’s heart. Here is chapter two. It teaches us the greatest quality of true leadership—having a servant’s heart. Nothing is more life-changing than the pure Word of God studied and taught in its verse by verse context. I try to pattern my life after the Apostle Paul. He himself said that Christ had made him “a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him (Jesus) to life everlasting”. Give your life to Jesus Christ and you’ll recognize in a hurry that there is a war going on for control of your life. That war is between God and a very real and subtle devil. That is why it is so awesome to get filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize the signs and sounds of the battle and choose Jesus every time. |
