When you have suffered some trial, did you just want to push the “eject” button and get out of it?
Now, what if you knew that if you stayed in the trial, it would one day end and you would be eternally better for it? Would that restrain your finger from pushing eject?
There were many motivations that kept Paul fighting the good fight of the faith (2 Tim 4:7) – all of them centered on Christ and the gospel. Instead of pushing eject from his sufferings, he endured, not in his own strength, but “in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 2:1)…a heart-sustaining and shaping grace accessed by faith in the truths of the gospel.
The graces that flowed out of Christ like a river of pearls filled His heart with joy and peace as He drank them all in. And in that state, he endured; he fought; he finished; he kept…all while suffering immensely.
But there’s another grace that kept Paul keeping on – a future grace from the very hand of Christ: “the crown of righteousness” that would be awarded Paul on the day of Christ’s “appearing” at His glorious second coming (2 Tim 4:8).
He eagerly looks forward to that prize as his death looms. He loves it, in fact. And not only Paul, but all believers do love His appearing…not mainly for the relief it will bring from our flesh and from the world, but primarily for the consummation of the union that we now experience with Christ in the Spirit. On that day, as the crown of righteousness is granted us, we will experience the fullness of our union with Christ. Union and communion will be one forever.
And what we experienced as heavy suffering will become so light as the eternal weight of glory that we experience in our new bodies in the presence of Christ awarding us out of His love will enrobe us and fill us to our unending delight (2 Cor 4:17).
Don’t push eject on your trial. I know it can be so painful, so crushing…But don’t. Christ is not judging you. He’s purifying you to experience deeper levels of joy in Him. And, He’s also waiting to be with you to reward you. There are many aspects of Christ to focus on as we endure trials…in this case, let His future grace hold your heart together.
