Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
Stand Firm
This past October, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan urged Canada to continue to insist on improvements in the human rights situation of Afghans living under Taliban rule. Richard Bennett commended Canada for standing firm in its decision that normalisation of the Taliban should be contingent on verified human rights improvements, especially for women and girls. He said, “I commend the Government of Canada for taking an important first step to hold Afghanistan accountable for its violations of international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.”
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Why does it seem that things that rock our world come out of nowhere. We are living our lives, minding our business, when a phone call or knock on the door suddenly changes everything. Our first response is usually to freak out, have a little pity party or complain about how unfair things are. The Bible suggests another response. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, the apostle Paul writes “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” Paul has just reminded the Corinthians that because of Jesus’ resurrection, we are assured that victory is ours. Nothing can come into our lives that His resurrection power cannot overcome. Nothing. So, Paul says to us, stand firm! Don’t let challenging times move us. When we trust Jesus, when we give ourselves fully to Him and when we are serving Him, He will hold us fast, and what we accomplish will have eternal impact.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley