STANDING FAST

 

A man was passing by a field one day and saw a young boy with his horse. The horse was worn down by time and toil—its legs bent and its back bowed, yet the lad was tenderly patting the old steed. The fellow yelled to the kid, “Can your horse run fast?” The boy smiled, “No mister, but he can sure stand fast!”

That is a good trait for every preacher to have!  We may as well accept that burdens to bear are inherent in Gospel work. Giving up and moving  on is ever tempting. 

When facing opposition—as we surely will—we may decide not to pack up our bags but put up our fists!  Don’t strike first, but stand fast!  In 2 Timothy 2:24, Paul tells us three traits of such a steadfast servant of the Lord.

The first trait is TENDERNESS. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all…”. In ministry you need a tough hide and a tender touch. When assaults come, you let it roll off—instead of responding with a counterattack. Remember that our war is with the Devil and not those he dupes. They are captives to be freed, not combatants to fight. The Apostle goes on to say, “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will,” (v. ‭25‬-‭26‬‬). The wise man said, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (Prov. 15:1). Stand fast with tenderness. 

The second trait is TEACHING. “And a servant of the Lord must…be…able to teach…”. Opposition sometimes arises over a lack of understanding. Poor communication often ignites powerful conflict. The positive truth can overcome the negative tendency. The congregation must be taught. When we are faithful to the Scriptures, If members want to argue with the message, it is not resistance to the messenger, but the Master!  The persistent preaching of the Word cultivates a spirit of cooperation instead of opposition. Stand fast with tenderness and teaching.

The third trait is TENACITY. “And a servant of the Lord must…be…patient… .”  We do not give up but dig in! Outlast your opposition. Be resolute in faith, hope, and love. A tenacious faith trusts God with the problem people. A tenacious hope rests in the potential of change in the problem people. A tenacious love wears down the resistance of problem people. It is always too soon to give up!  I wrote this in my Bible nearly a century ago as I began Gospel ministry:

    DON’T QUIT

    When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
    when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
    when the funds are low and the debts are high,
    and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
    when care is pressing you down a bit—rest if you must, but don't you quit.

    Life is queer with its twists and turns.
    As everyone of us sometimes learns.
    And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
    Don't give up though the pace seems slow—you may succeed with another blow.

    Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
    Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;

    and he learned too late when the night came down,

    how close he was to the golden crown.

    Success is failure turned inside out—the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
    and when you never can tell how close you are,
    it may be near when it seems afar;

    so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—it's when things seem worst, 

    you must not quit.  (Edgar A. Guest)

Brothers, stand fast with tenderness, teaching, and tenacity.