Don’t Lose Heart in Ministry and Life

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Don’t Lose Heart in Ministry and Life

by Jonathon Wright

2Corinthians 4:7-9 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (NKJV, See also Acts 18:1-17 for background).

Paul is quite the motivational speaker in this chapter. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, 16, he encourages them not to lose heart and ends the chapter with this same appeal. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 is right in the middle of this chapter. It describes some of the struggles that Paul endured in life for the sake of the Gospel. Life and ministry can, at times, be hard, and we all need encouragement not to lose heart.

As you read these words, notice Paul’s use of the word we in verses 7 and 8. Paul, a mighty man of faith, identified with the ordinary man. He was a person like you and me. It is easy to think that Paul was always bold and full of faith, but his ministry in Corinth tells us otherwise.

Paul spent a year and a half in ministry at Corinth. His ministry had ups and downs. It started when Paul testified in the synagogue that Jesus was the Christ. “But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles’” (Acts 18:6, NKJV).

Paul departed from the synagogue, possibly scared for his life. He came to the house of Titus Justus, a God-fearing Gentile, who befriended and took him. Thus began the Church of God in Corinth. See 1 Corinthians 1:2 for this title. No other church Paul established was referred to by this name.

However, God was not through. Shortly after this, there was news that Crispus, the synagogue ruler, accepted Christ. God touched the heart of this ruler, and many others believed in the Lord. God is the only one who can change such hard hearts as these Jews in Corinth. No wonder Paul needed to encourage them to keep sharing the Gospel and not lose heart. When Paul came to Corinth, he needed a lot of encouragement. We learn from 1 Corinthians 2:3 that he came to them with much fear and trembling. Also, in Acts 18:9-17, the Lord spoke and encouraged him in a dream not to fear because no one would harm him. Many Jews hated Paul and eventually brought him before the judgment seat. They wanted to appeal to have Paul executed, but the judge would not sentence Paul to death and told them to handle these things among themselves. Paul did not even have to make a defense. God fulfilled the promise of that dream. Later, God showed up again because the opening address of 1 Corinthians 1:1 talks about how the Sosthenes, the leading prosecutor, was their brother or part of the family of God. Many times, God will come through for us in the hard times. He does this in hopes that we will share our testimony to encourage others. The things the Lord did in Paul’s life would later become treasured memories of God’s power which empowered his ministry. This is the reason he could keep a realistic but optimistic attitude in hard times. We need to do the same because God can turn things around and show His power in our weakness.

About The Author

Jonathon Wright currently lives in Cleveland, Tennessee, and has been a member of the Church of God for about twenty years. He is a graduate of Lee University and Beacon University where he earned a BA and MA in Biblical Studies. He loves studying the Bible and has done so for over thirty years, but only now has God given him a desire and the opportunity to be a writer. He is currently beginning the process of writing a book on Genesis entitled, God’s Good Prophetic Plan: From Beginning to End.