By Not Known
Have you listened to interviews given by professional athletes? You would notice that a common goal being articulated is to be at the top of their sport and be the best there ever is. You will never come across a professional athlete who just wants to be mediocre or ordinary.
It is then common to see them adhere to a strictest regime of training, dieting and abstinence from things you and I typically enjoy.
Their end goal affects what they value, and how they live.
Doesn’t this principle apply individually and corporately to us as well? We will always work towards our end goal.
If there is one thing that this week’s scriptural passage shows, is the effect of the Gospel-transformed life. Even in the hardest of circumstances, Timothy and Epaphroditus were thoroughly transformed by the Gospel and became fellow brothers, workers and soldiers to Paul.
What was their end goal? To love Jesus passionately and further his Gospel even to the point of death (verse 30). Their end goal affects what they value, and has an impact on their daily living. (Read 1 & 2 Timothy)
So it is important to remind constantly each other on what our end goal is: love Jesus and further his gospel.
If Jesus and his Gospel is not our end goal, we will end up:
• being a club, and not a community of regenerated believers who are in it ‘for the long haul’.
• having a competent traditional-styled “feel-good” event, and not a God-inspired worship service where hearts are challenged and changed by the gospel.
• becoming a social advocacy group, and not a mission-minded community who are furthering the Gospel at every opportunity.
Any gathering of people can be a country club, organize good events and take up social causes. But only a transformed people of God can be THE church.
We, the people of God are like professional athletes, we are not mediocre or ordinary. For God in Christ had already transformed us to ‘be’ his people, thus given us a reason to worship and speak of him. Let us live out the Gospel transformed life by persevering for His sake, gathering for His sake, and taking up ministry opportunities for His sake.
Amos Lau