Revelation 1:9

“I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”

When I first read this verse, I had no idea what in the world I was supposed to get from ad introduction to the book of Revelation. I slowly started to realize that there is a deeper meaning behind it. The land of Patmos is a place where there is a prison and they work you to the bone, it’s not an easy life to live. John was very old at this time and this prison is probably working him to the point of death. Now, he was at Patmos because he was proclaiming the word of God and talking to people about Jesus. He put himself in a place where he could die because the Lord’s work was more important than his life. He was enduring all of this pain and persecution because the Lord was working through him. Sometimes, we come to the point in our lives where we have to choose between spreading God’s word or fitting in and not going through a hard time. We have to make the choice of whether or not we are willing to do what John did and risk it all for the glory of the Lord. We aren’t willing to be patient and endure the trial that is set before us because it is hard and we are afraid of losing the things of the world. We don’t view God’s call for us to take up our cross and follow Him as one that is worth losing it all for. This call on our lives is the most important thing we will ever do. The Lord gives endurance to carry on, because we can’t.

I find myself always contemplating the two choices before me: step outside of my comfort zone for the gospel and let the Lord work, or just stay back and keep on loving the world. In all reality, there shouldn’t be two options. I should jump for joy at the chance to spread the Gospel and share the joy of the Lord. I get scared and timid because I don’t like talking to people I don’t know or I get nervous about what I’m going to say, but those things aren’t from God. He gives boldness and words and endurance to carry on and can work through me as long as I let go and don’t hold on to my fears and anxieties. I can’t and will never be able to do it on my own, it is the Lord who works through me to do it all. I just have to endure and go along where He takes me. My application is to find all the times in the Bible that it says to take up your cross.