Tired – But Proud!

            A number of years ago I was blessed to hear Brother David Sain preach a sermon about the permanent nature of marriage from Matthew 19:4-6. The message stressed the need for commitment if marriages are to survive and thrive and endure. To illustrate commitment, David told a story about Grandpa and Grandma who had been married for over 60 years. One evening. Grandpa leaned over to Grandma and said, "Grandma, I’m proud of you." Grandma said, "Eh?" Grandpa repeated, "I’m proud of you." She still didn’t get it and again said, "Eh?" This time Grandpa shouted, "I said I’m proud of you!" Grandma said, "I know, Grandpa. I’m tired of you,too." One was proud and one was tired, but they had a tough, stubborn love that held them together through thick and thin!

I’ve said all that to get to some statements about and from the apostle Paul. No one who is aware of Paul’s life and ministry could ever doubt that Paul was proud of Jesus Christ and the gospel. That fact is made clear in many passages from the book of Acts and Paul’s letters. One place that demonstrates his love for Jesus and pride in being a preacher of Christ’s gospel is found in the book of 2 Timothy. At 1:8-12 Paul pleads with his young protege and preacher friend Timothy to "not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God." He mentions the fact he "was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles" in verse 11. Then in verse 12a he declares, "For this reason I also suffer these things." Paul preached about Christ even though it often brought him, not amen’s and praise, but animosity, persecution, and much suffering and pain. Later at 1:16 he mentions "my chain." He wore that chain almost like a badge of honor! If you know anything about Paul you know he spent a lot of time in jail.

 From 2:8-9 we read that he was suffering "trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains." Then, very near the end of the book at 4:6-7 we learn he is not only in prison but on Death Row – writing that "the time of my departure is at hand," a metaphorical reference to the fact he was expecting to soon be martyred for Christ. A question is in order – didn’t the apostle ever grow tired and weary of all the pain and chains and prison cells and suffering? No doubt he did. But he was never just tired – he was also proud and unashamed! Proud of Jesus Christ and the gospel he had faithfully preached for some 30 years. Paul’s love for Christ and his pride in being a preacher of the gospel proved tougher and more enduring than any and everything the devil and opponents of the cross could throw at him! Now he appeals to Timothy to be gripped and spurred on by this same conviction.

 Every Christian, especially elders and preachers, ought to hear the tired but proud apostle’s appeal in 2 Timothy 1:13-14 – "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." The question for all of us is not do we ever grow tired. We do. The question is will we hold fast and hold out and hold on and refuse to quit as we struggle toward eternity. Will our love for Jesus and pride in being His servants sustain us even when we are tired and hurting?

 Think about it.



– Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN