Walk
Ga 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Your walk is the way you live. The OT history speaks of men walking in the way of evil or walking in the way of good.
Each of us has obvious choices in life - flesh or spirit, light or darkness, God or mammon. And if we make the right choice, we have an obligation to share our enlightenment with others.
The greatest temptation to the believer is not to do evil, but to do nothing. Probably the greatest sin of the believer is keeping the light to himself.
We, as believers, are to walk in the Spirit, to walk in the light, to walk by faith, and to live in hope.
Ga 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Ro 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
We live in dark times, but then, the times have always been dark. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, times have been dark. The Jews, God's chosen people, have always been persecuted. They were captive in Egypt, captive in Assyria, captive in Babylon, murdered by Hitler, banished from Russia, and faced discrimination in many other countries.
The early Christians were hated by the Jews, persecuted by the Romans, driven into hiding, and silenced during various times in history.
Believers have always been required to live by something hoped for but not seen.
How are we to live in this world today?
Our numbers are declining. Most church growth reported today is actually church changing. The Muslims are increasing and are determined to eradicate the Jews and Christians.
Our Government is in trouble. Our nations is crumbling morally, spiritually, as a world power, and sometimes, financially. Our educational system has failed us. Our national pride has collapsed. We are on the verge of civil war racially, and now, politically - the Republicans vs. the Democrats. We are a generation living on easy street but not enjoying it.
We are called to do as Jesus did - give hope and give light.
Always remember that many are called, but few are chosen. Many follow the broad path to destruction, and few go the narrow way of life.
What happens when you share the gospel with people? Few accept it - many reject or ignore it.
Though every individual is important, numbers are not important. Faithfulness is. Success, as the world (and the worldly church) measures it, is not important - faithfulness is. Results are not to be our measure of value - faithfulness to the task is. Results are often misleading.
Few are chosen - few there be that find it. When the Titanic went down, few were saved. Many perished. But thank God for the few that survived. Rejoice over each one who was spared.
What reward will there be for our labor? Here on earth - probably misunderstanding, misjudgment, persecution, ridicule by the majority. Face it! It's always been that way.
Jesus said:
Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Joh 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
One thing you must keep in mind - we labor for the Lord. We love and care for people, but ultimately our labor is for the Lord. People will disappoint you. God will not. People will take advantage of you and take you for granted. God will not. People will turn on you. God will not.
We are to offer light, even when the darkness tries to blow it out hope even when the despair tries to crush it.
As much as you resent and resist what the world tries to put off on you, they resent and resist what we offer them. You must realize their viewpoint. Darkness cannot comprehend light. But you must still offer it even when it is rejected. You must remember that they don't know they need the medicine we offer. It's like the kid who screams and runs from the needle. He runs from his healing because he doesn't understand. You don't get angry with the child. You try to make him understand.
Reach out with light to the darkness of this world. And every once in a while, somebody will embrace the light, and you will have saved a life.