Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sticking to It in a Non-stick World

"Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure" (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

How many of you remember when Teflon was first introduced to America's kitchens, beloved? How cool was that to watch fried eggs and pancakes slide off a tilted cooking surface and onto your waiting breakfast plate? No doubt "non-stick" has been one of the most far-reaching and practical inventions of the mind of man!

Unfortunately, we seem also to have found a way to introduce Teflon into our spiritual lives as well. How vividly I recall hearing a preacher say one time concerning Paul's term "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) that the only problem with a "living sacrifice" is that it wants to keep crawling off the altar! That same thing can be said of the "non-stick" quality that the lives of many professing Christians exhibit in living for Jesus Christ today. Simply put, we seem to have a problem staying put! In his second recorded letter to the saints in Thessalonica, the apostle joyfully spoke of his boasting to others concerning the Thessalonians' "perseverance" in the midst of much persecution and affliction. The Greek word hupomone means literally "an abiding under" and focuses specifically upon one's patience under trial. While it is true that today the word "patience" often brings to mind something passive - just sitting there, so to speak - nothing could actually be any further from the truth.

In this verse Paul mentioned the "persecutions and afflictions which you endure." The Greek verb anecho means "hold up" in the sense of them holding themselves "upright" in their faithfulness to the call of God and in their trust in Him despite horrible living circumstances. In the midst of intense hostility aimed at them by the enemies of the gospel and its accompanying painful suffering, the Thessalonians had chosen to "stick to it" and to serve Jesus Christ unashamedly and faithfully.

How much Teflon has gotten mixed into your living today, beloved? Do you tend to "slide" spiritually from here to there? Paul had this very spiritual instability in mind when he spoke to the Ephesian believers concerning their being "tossed here and there" (4:14) by the false teachings of men and the pressures of trying to stick to it in a non-stick world. Today more than at any other time in the history of the church of Jesus Christ, the world needs to see believers who "stick to it"! Let's leave the Teflon in our cookware, beloved, and just determine to hold fast no matter what.

Ron