St Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church
24 Burke Road, Freehold, NJ 07728
732-780-3158
/ Weekly Message / Do Not Lose Heart
Do Not Lose Heart

Search this site

Do Not Lose Heart

In his ministry, St. Paul suffered many hardships. However, he never lost heart; he never gave up. In 2 Corinthians 4: 7 - 18, he tells why we should not lose heart either.

"This treasure we possess in earthen vessels to make it clear that its surpassing power comes from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way possible, but we are not crushed; full of doubt, we never despair. We are persecuted but never abandoned; we are struck down but never destroyed. Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed. While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. Death is at work in us, but life in you. We have that spirit of faith of which the Scripture says, `Because I have believed I spoke out.' We believe and so we speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in his presence. Indeed, everything is ordered to your benefit, so that the grace bestowed in abundance may bring greater glory to God because they who give thanks are many. We do not lose heart because our inner being is renewed each day even though our body is being destroyed at the same time. The present burden of our trail is light enough, and earns for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen. What is seen is transitory, what is unseen lasts forever."

Pray about and consider seriously the truths which kept St. Paul and faithful followers of the Lord going about their daily lives in spite of detours and other hardships. Enumerate how these truths make a difference in our hardships.


Free Search Engine Submission

©2014 St Paul The Apostle Orthodox Church. All rights reserved.