And I dont mean the kind of hot that warms your skin, and makes you glad it is Summer.
It's the kind of hot that makes every pore sweat through your only clean shirt. The kind of sticky hot that makes your forehead bead with sweat the second you step out of the shower. The kind of hot that exhausts your body and makes you wish you could nap in an ice chest all day.
There is no pool. There is no air conditioning. There is no relief.
It's hot.
Recently I have found myself caught in prayers and in more words have said "It's hot. Make it cooler. I`m not comfortable. Change that. I'm tired, make it cooler and make me more comfortable so I can sleep."
Have you ever been in a similiar position, praying for your circumstances to change? Perhaps your circumstances surrounding your career, your relationships, your family, your health, your finances, your whatevers?
As I sit dripping with sweat every day I find myself often times wishing circumstances were different. Let it be known: I. hate. hot. weather.
If only these circumstances were different I would be in a better place to share the gospel. If I were more rested I could do more, if I were cooler I could play longer, if I were more comfortable I would be happier.
I was reading Ephesians 6 today. A chapter you and I both know well; the armour of God. But this time as I read something jumped off the page.
The Apostle Paul writes in verses 19-20
"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
Did you catch what Paul is praying there? Paul is asking that God use him in any circumstance to fearlessly make known the name of Christ. Paul isn't writing from his hotel room with a view, or over a well balanced meal, or after a restful, cool, comfortable nights sleep. Far from it.
Paul is writing from a Roman prison where he is chained to the wall for boldy declaring the gospel. So the hand that he is writing with is literally bound in chains, yet that is what he asks for.
Paul could have prayed for the magistrates to release him, an earthquake to rattle the chains like in Phillipi, or a spec ops mission for rescuing. But Paul doesn't do any of those things. Instead, he focuses on the message of the gospel. Paul doesn't ask God to change his circumstances or give him a way out. Rather, Paul askes God to give him the boldness to get the message out!
What would happen if I prayed, if you prayed, with the same fervent enthusiasm to proclaim the gospel as Paul, the ambassador in chains?
What if I spent as much energy praying for fearlessness to spread the gospel as I did for my circumstances to change?
Paul looks around at the mess he is in and embraces what he can do in the middle ot if.
I am a sticky, sweaty, tired, achy mess the majority of the time. But when I embrace that God has placed me here to fearlessly proclaim the news of the gospel, my sweat becomes... no sweat.
I`m done waiting for my circumstances to change before I jump headlong into the purposes of God. I`m done letting the enemy tell me that my brokenness disqualifies me from fearlessly proclaiming the gospel throughout the world.
Are you done? My prayer for you, beloved, is that "whenever you speak, words may be given to you so that you will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which you are an ambassador in chains. I pray that you may declare it fearlessly."
