We Must Face the Difficulties of Life to Maintain our Integrity

Few of us like controversy. We want to be like; we want “peace in our time,” However, we cannot allow this desire to affect our ministry to others. To avoid controversy, we may be tempted to tell others only what they want to hear from the Bible and not what they need to hear. Our task as Christians is not only to give the people what they want, but to encourage them to desire God’s truth. It is also our responsibility not to look down upon new Christians. It is sometimes easy to judge new Christians who are not yet ready to eat “spiritual food” and are still drinking “spiritual milk.” We must reach out to them and let them know that living the Christian life takes time, prayer, and intimate study of God’s Word.

Pray now that God will give you the grace and humility to reach out to new Christians, to nuture them and help them make the transition from spiritual milk to spiritual food. Then exalt the Lord for His many wonders: ‘How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord” (Psalm 104:24, 33-34).

Now please pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him: “O Lord, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has grown up to the heavens” (personalized from Ezra 9:6).

Confess any sins that the Lord brings to your mind. As you agree with God’s will, voice your affirmation of His Word: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:67, 71, 75).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Harmony among believers,
• Discipleship for new believers,
• The work of missions in South America

Close with this prayer:

You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You” (Psalm 118:28).

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:

Again, it says,

And again,

And again, Isaiah says,

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another” (Romans 15:1-14).