A friend asked me the other day if I had a favorite Bible verse and if so, what it was. My response to him was that I don’t really have a favorite passage or verse in the Bible, but there are certain verses in the Bible that are personal favorites to me during certain periods of my life. I’ve continued to think about that over the past few days and if asked again, I would have to say that I do in fact have a favorite Bible passage or passages due in part to what they have come to mean in my life.
My all time favorite passage would have to be 2 Timothy 4: 7-8 which states: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (Adding verses 5 and 6 adds further to the context of this verse: “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”)
This passage was first introduced to me when we were planning my brother’s funeral and I come back to it frequently when I am dealing with any hardship in my life. The challenge in this passage, especially to me, is to endure that hardship with grace and set a Christian example as I do so because no matter how difficult the hardship, our time here is short but the rewards for keeping the faith and fighting the “good fight” will be great and eternal! I have watched great warriors with faith much stronger and deeper than mine fight through disease and pain the likes that I cannot fathom and yet, they never once complained, never cursed our Lord and Savior, never lost their faith. For me, that is a constant reminder that He is always with us and if put our faith in Him, we can do anything on this Earth. With Him beside us, everything here is so much smaller, because eventually this fight will be over and we’ll be with him which makes glorifying him during the course of the fight all that much more important!
The other passage that has become a favorite of mine is 1 Peter 2:17-25 which tells us “…Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward…For what what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God…”
This passage is important to me because it reminds me of God’s command to all of us to work diligently no matter the circumstances with which we’re faced. We are not the ones that get to choose the circumstances with which we’re faced. Sometimes we may be working for or with those like us that share our values and love for our Lord. Other times, we will be working for those that do not. No matter the consequences we are commanded to submit ourselves to our masters and work hard for the glory of God. I also use this passage as a challenge when things are difficult. It is easy to obey a master who shares the same values as me, believes as I do and thinks as I do, but it is entirely more difficult to obey, or follow a master whose values are different from mine, believes opposite from me and thinks differently from me. In the case of my faith, I see it as a way to minister to those that are unsaved, unchurched or who are unbelievers–a way to show them how my Jesus, my Lord would have me respond in certain situations.