1 Corinthians 16:13 Stand Firm
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

1 Corinthians 16:13 New International Version

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.   

This verse,  inserted right in the middle of a letter written by one of the apostles, seems to have no connection with the content of his letter. The apostle is sharing his traveling itinerary with other believers.  It seems like this verse is out of place and put there as a random thought without a purpose or reason;  but there is a reason this verse is seemingly squeezed in. As the author of the letter makes his way through the sharing of the necessary plans and giving polite instruction to those he knows and loves.  He  also incorporates some information about others and includes the different aspects to a believer’s life style.

He is saying that it should be a natural and normal part of our approach as Kingdom members to embrace these things he recommends. One of the ways to live successfully as a believer is by being on the alert.  To be alert is to be mindful of our physical and spiritual surroundings.  This single verse stuck in the middle of his day to day happenings is in recognition of the warfare that is continuously present in our Christian walk.  This calling preaches the good news, moves in faith, and warfares against  evil.  It was just part of the protocol they were to adhere to as they went out on their mission in the world. This writer knew the devastation they would encounter on their journeys and he encouraged them to remain in faith as they leaned into the Lord.  This man of God knew the great importance of having courage and strength in the faith and in Christ so that they could fulfill their purpose.   

The question is:  Should the  same standards apply to today’s Christian?  It shouldn’t  be any different. We face the same enemy as the early Christians did and we live in a society that is hostile to the Christian faith.     In today’s news Christians all over the world are being persecuted for their faith.  Those of us sitting cozy in our safe homes should be praying for them and warfaring in the Spirit to defend and stand alongside our fellow believers who are experiencing torture and beheadings and even being killed for their faith..   

This verse must become the norm in our lifestyle. It must blend into our everyday reality. It makes no sense that we have authority and power given to us by God and yet we don’t access this power and authority to live a victorious life.  Instead we run in fear, becoming hopeless and weak.

Challenge:  Practice your faith by running to God continuously.  There you will find your courage and strength to press through the most difficult circumstances.  Scripture tells us what we need to do and how to do it.  Plenty of believers struggled through the same things we struggle with and their stories are our treasures to motivate us toward the higher calling.  Run to the word where there is power and hope.

God bless  

Marni

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The purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.