1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
we do not lose heart.
Because Paul’s team operated under the principle of God’s mercy, they did not lose heart or give up their service for the Lord. They suffered many accusations and difficulties. They carried out their ministry with firm conviction because they knew God’s mercy was extended to them. They never gave up to despair while ministering. They determined to hang in there with a bulldog-like tenacity, no matter the difficulty (2 Co 4:16). Paul’s team never took refuge in silence, timidity, or shame. They persistently were active in ministry daunted by nothing and no one.
PRINCIPLE:
Don’t quit too soon.
APPLICATION:
Some people take refuge in silence or inactivity because they lose heart in ministry. Many do this to escape criticism. This is the opposite of boldness (2 Co 3:12).
The experience of knowing Christ more than compensates for any trouble we might face in ministry. The incredible honor of preaching New Covenant truth causes Christians not to be discouraged. Privilege to minister comes from God’s mercy. Ministry is not something we earn or deserve; we receive it as an act of God’s grace. There are many discouragements in ministry. It can become a burden rather than a blessing if we look at it from the viewpoint of a career. God’s mercy is always a source of encouragement because it is a privilege. Because we possess God’s mercy, we do not fail to discharge our mission.
The president of William Tyndale College (one of my alma maters) gave a message in chapel every year—“Don’t quit too soon”—because of the high drop-out rate after the first year of college. Those who minister because God has been merciful to them do not allow accusations or difficulties in ministry to discourage them. Definite conviction of ministry gives them the tenacity to continue through any problem in ministry.
