II Timothy 1:10b-12a
“...through this gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things:”
This written by Paul to encourage Timothy, another preacher, in doing the work of God.
Background: Paul's job (in Acts) was to persecute Christians. One day he had an encounter from God, which left him blind for a few days and then healed, reluctantly, by a Christian. Paul knew that he was to bring the gospel of Christ throughout the world. Possibly, Paul wrote more than half of the New Testament.
Paul had such an impact on "preaching" and sharing the message of Christ. Yes, God must have been proud. Paul still suffered. He met so much persecution. God is so good and Paul maintained that. He knew that he had a purpose and something to accomplish. He stuck to his goals regardless of the unjustified and unexpected cruel treatment he regularly received.
I'm saying to you: Stick to your goals, regardless of the discord surrounding it. Sometimes things don't go well because we have no business involved in it in the first place. I know that from experience all too well. Then there are some things that we need to strive to, no matter how hard it seems.
There are Christian missionaries, human rights activists and others who are on the verge of death for their cause. I, on the other hand, want to lose weight but fail because I can't find the time to jump on a treadmill for 20 minutes a day. We need to look at our goals and determine if they are conducive to a healthy lifestyle. One way to find out is to pray and ask God for an answer. You'll get one. Sometimes, we doubt we really heard from God though. So, we have to pay attention to a state of peace, values, and our evaluation of our goals ability to produce a healthy lifestyle.
A healthy lifestyle to me, "Christianly", is following the advice of Jesus and his followers, as outlined in the Bible. Also, which is the end result for a Christian anyway, is the ability for your life to continue to produce life (not only child birth) without dis-ease mentally, physically, or spiritually. (Feel free to ask more in-depth questions).
Take the time out to review your goals and decide how much of a commitment you are willing to extend to it. Then evaluate how much of a commitment is needed to fulfill it. Does your will to and actual need of commitment match up? God is good and he only wants good for you. He isn't throwing down miracles all day, even though he wants us to rely on Him always. We still have to use our human powers on this earth to function and play our part. Find the right balance and roll up your sleeves. There's work cut out for everyone with some sort of purpose. And everyone has a purpose, some of us just don't know it as yet. Even though it may be hard, it'll be worth it. Find support, first in God, then in positive minded people whether it is family or friends or an online support group. Well wishes on your endeavors.
BTW, God still does miracles. We just don’t ask for them as much and correctly (for the right reasons) as we should.
