Keep Going, Faithful One

This morning I listened to Andrew Wommack teach on Paul’s thorn in the flesh. During his message, he said something that resonated deeply with me:

*“You know, I love what I do. I’m so thrilled that God has called me to share the Good News and tell people about Him. It’s the greatest thing, I think, that could ever happen in the world—to be used by God to see someone’s life changed, to see their body healed, to see them saved and come into relationship with the Lord. It’s awesome—I love it. But if I were only in this for the praise and applause of people, there are other things I could do that would be much easier.

I’ve been vilified. I’ve been threatened with death. I’ve been kidnapped. I get hate mail. All kinds of things come my way.

There are hardships that go along with ministry. Just the fact that God is using me makes me a target for the devil. Satan inspires people to attack, to vent, to oppose—and that’s what Paul was talking about. He mentioned four specific hardships that clearly refer to this kind of spiritual resistance.”*

That’s exactly how my heart feels.

It is my greatest joy to see someone’s eyes well up with tears when they discover just how deeply God loves them. When Jesus becomes real to them—not just as a name, but as a living Savior—it’s overwhelming in the best way. Those moments are worth everything.

But as Andrew pointed out, the enemy doesn’t sit idly by. I’ve started calling it the “Then Satan” moment—because that’s what happens. Just like the parable says, when the seed of the Word is planted, the enemy comes quickly to sow weeds—lies, discouragement, distractions.

I wish we didn’t have to deal with the devil. But pretending he doesn’t exist is not wisdom—it’s foolishness. Scripture tells us plainly that Jesus was anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit and power to go about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. (Acts 10:38)

We can’t ignore the evil one.

If Heaven keeps journals on our lives (and I believe it does), I’m sure there are plenty of entries where I’ve tried to focus only on the roses and ignore the thorns—only to get pricked again and again. I genuinely want to see the good in people. I extend grace, I give the benefit of the doubt—sometimes to the point of enabling.

And yes, I’ve had to be corrected. My own journals testify to it. I’ve softened truth when I should have spoken it clearly. I’ve held back words of healing because I didn’t want to make someone uncomfortable. And honestly, there are people who just don’t want to hear about the things of God—so they shut me down.

But I’m not discouraged.

If you’re reading this, I want to encourage you to remain faithful. Don’t grow weary in well-doing. That’s exactly what the enemy wants—to wear you down until you quit caring.

Stay the course. Fight the good fight. Be determined to finish strong.

Because one day… we will hear the words that make it all worth it:

“Well done, My good and faithful servant.”