2 Corinthians 6:4 “but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,”

I recently had a friend get married, and a wonderful wedding it was (as all weddings are). All the radiant Bride’s maids were beautiful in their dresses; the groom’s men were all handsome and uncomfortable in their tuxes. Then the grandfather of the bride spoke. He spoke on love, on commitment, and on making Christ the center of this new household.

Christ is the foundation of our lives. Without His sacrifice on the cross, we would be condemned to eternal torment. We would be without hope, without joy, and without remorse. Without Christ we would be nothing, unable to change, unable to become better people.

With Christ we are given peace in our lives, tumultuous though they may be. Through Christ, we are given joy at whatever may happen. Christ has given us atonement for our sins and we are blessed. He paid the price to redeem us from bondage to sin. We now are His slaves, dedicated to righteousness and determined to live in purity.

As slaves, therefore, we are to do the best we can to represent Christ to all others. They do not see Christ except through us and our actions, yet the world does not love Christ as we do. They meet His affection for us with afflictions, our hope in him with hardships, and our spiritual deliverance with physical distresses.

As dedicated servants of the Most High, afflictions will come, and we can do naught but withstand and endure. We will be afflicted with heartaches; loved ones will spurn us and mock us. We will have financial hardships; those who live and love the world will always seem to have money and wealth to spend, while we get by on what God provides. Yet if we endure, Christ comes through for us. While the immediate years may hold pain and suffering, we must hold steadfast and firm. Others will see us and our witness. Our troubles and trials may cause others to turn to Him, the savior of all. We endure because Christ is faithful. We must determine through all things to make Christ the center of our lives, the foundation of everything we do.

To center on Christ, to make Him one’s focus is a life-long focus. This is an endeavor to end all endeavors. We have claimed Christ as our savior, we have determined that He is Lord of our life. We are not promised an easy life, and we are not given comfort. Instead we are given values, morals, and responsibilities. We are given grace and mercy. As long as we adore God, the world will abhor us. Yet Christ is faithful and just.

I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.