by Anthony N. Wade

2 Timothy 2:1-4 (KJV)

{1} Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

{2} And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

{3} Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

{4} No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

I have never forgotten one of the greatest challenges I ever experienced as a husband and father. It was the early 1980’s. We had pioneered a church in our hometown. After a few short years as a Pastor, the Lord instructed me to resign, turn the church over to my assistant, and devote my life to an itinerant ministry. I did what He told me to do, but it was not easy.

Focusing on a traveling ministry meant that I would spend hours on the road, away from my family. It also meant no weekly paycheck. We had to rely on God for our sustenance. We had four children at home, and they were young.

One morning, as I drove away from our home to go on one of my ministry trips several states away, something happened that I have never, nor will I ever forget. Everyone had said their good-byes. However, our youngest son lingered outside. As I turned the corner, I looked back and he was waving good-bye. I went down the road with tears in my eyes – crying, because I had to leave them for a season, to follow God’s plan for my life. That was hard to do, but I knew it was God leading and guiding me. It was hard, yet the rewards for obeying “The Holy Ghost” payed off. Although it was part of His plan for our family to be apart for seasons, all of our children are God fearing and living their lives for Him.

Yes, “The Holy Spirit,” through the ‘Apostle Paul’ said to endure hardness. Many times we don’t know what that hardness will be until God directs us to fulfill our commitment to Him as followers. I am reminded of another passage of scripture in Romans eight.

Romans 8:14-16 (KJV)

{14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

{15} For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

{16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

It was paramount to be the best father I could be. We would pray for and with our children before they went to school everyday. I had an internal early clock so wherever I was, I would make sure I was awake to pray with, and for them. At that time we had a telephone that had a speaker on it. I would lead them in a prayer before they left home. Sure it was hard, but it payed off. Some say it costs to obey God. My answer to that is not near as much to disobey.