Willing to Suffer for the Sake of Our Master

Last updated on: September 23, 2018 at 10:59 pm by KP Yohannan

Willing to Suffer for the Sake of Our Master 2018-09-23T22:59:07+00:00 KP Yohannan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The life of a civilian and the life of a soldier are worlds apart.

The civilian is under no one’s order. He can do as he pleases. From nine to five he can work as an employee at his job, earn his money, go to his home in the evening, enjoy his weekends and plan his vacations. He is a civilian.

But the soldier’s life is different—he is under orders. He cannot simply do as he pleases. He leaves his family with the awareness that he may then be put on the front lines and might give his life there. But because he is a soldier, he responds to the call, leaving his own desires and life behind in order to fulfill the commitment he has made to his commanding officer, his nation and its security.

The Mindset of Paul

The Apostle Paul understood very well what it meant to be a soldier. The Roman soldiers surrounding him in prison lived away from their homes and suffered for their cause. Their loyalty to their country and king was proven true by the way they suffered for it.

And we see from Paul’s life that he also understood suffering and paid the price, his own body marked with the wounds of serving Christ, his Master: “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).

Similar to the Roman soldiers guarding him in prison, Paul’s loyalty to Christ was proven true by the suffering he endured. His life consisted of shipwrecks, nakedness, beatings, stonings, misunderstandings, desertion and being left to die.

The pressure, tension and anguish were so great that in 2 Corinthians 1:8, he said, “We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”

But Paul’s certificate of authenticity was not his accomplishments in the ministry…

Not the churches he planted
Not the revelations he had received

Rather, his certificate of authenticity was his own personal commitment to inconvenience and his willingness to suffer.

Paul calls Timothy to this same acceptance of hardships, knowing that in the work of the Lord, suffering is bound to come. Paul explains in 2 Timothy 2:4 —“No soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

If Timothy wanted to please the Lord as a good soldier, there was a price he must pay. He must conduct himself differently than those he lived among, keeping himself from getting tangled up in the affairs of this life.

There would be things he must say “no” to
Things he must go without
Suffering he must endure

Let Us Please Our Commanding Officer

Today, realize this price we are called to pay and count it all joy, knowing that it is a special privilege to give our lives for our Lord and for His work.

Dr. KP Yohannan, founder and director of the nonprofit organization Gospel for Asia, has written more than 200 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

Gospel for Asia is a nonprofit organization serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979, often in places where no one else is serving. Gospel for Asia supports national workers who are serving as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. Gospel for Asia is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program, tens of thousands of children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.

Click here, to read more articles on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan.

Go here to know more about Dr. KP Yohannan: Integrity | Facebook | Twitter | Book

Learn what the fruit is of being willing to pay the price.

Previous Post

September 18, 2018

Our Attitude Towards Suffering

Next Post

September 20, 2018 We Are Called to Live By Unchanging Principles

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Current Events Devotionals Field Stories From My Books Guest Writer Inspirational Personal Life Spiritual Growth Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 June 2024 May 2024 December 2023 October 2023 May 2023 April 2023 December 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz