When I woke up this morning and thought about what I have to do. I thought about the apostle Paul. I wondered if he ever woke up and thought about his day coming up, if he ever thought, You know, I don’t think I want to do this. I don’t think I want to go there, do that again, be around those people. I’m getting a little weary. I wonder if he was ever tempted to take a day off, go fishing, go back to bed. I thought about how easy we have it, in comparison, for the most part. He was flogged for his faith five time, beaten with rods three; stoned once, shipwrecked three times spending a night and a day in the sea. In his list of woes, he includes being in perils of false brethren, in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often. And, among other things, he had his deep concern for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:22-28) all to fulfill the call on his life, all for the love of Jesus. Nothing matters, he said, but faith being fulfilled by love. He was compelled by the love of God to go, to minister, in spite of circumstance. He was pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God. He knew there would be great rewards for obedience.
And all we are asked to do is love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who mistreat us, serve others, walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh, keep the faith. Compared to Paul, what wimps we are.
I know I shouldn’t be speaking for anyone else but myself. OK. But I see you over there, you pastor person. I remember the joke I heard almost forty years ago. It may be the only joke I remember, about a man who woke up one Sunday morning and lay in bed. His wife kept coming in and saying, “Come on, honey. You’ve got to get up and get dressed. It’s almost time for church.” And he said, "But I’m not going. Those people are mean. They talk about us. They’re stingy, stubborn, and uncooperative.” And she said, “I know. I know. But you have to go. You’re the pastor.”
Yep. Come on now. One more time. Get up. Get dressed. Brush your teeth, your hair. Put on your happy face. We will reap a harvest if we don’t give up. And after that, hey, you and me. Let’s go fishin’. You know. After we go fishin’?
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