Do not lose heart!

Therefore, I ask you not to lose heart over my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Ephesians 3:13

To lose heart means to decrease in strength, to lose determination; to weaken one's spirit, to falter in will, to waver in purpose, among other definitions. It is the state of someone who is putting forth great energy into a demand but seemingly sees no positive results. In the Christian life, to lose heart is to become discouraged, to stop halfway, to lose strength.

Paul showed great concern for what his imprisonment and sufferings might cause to the spirits of the Christians in Ephesus. They might be confused by the contradiction of proclaiming the Almighty God and the triumphant Christ while their preacher was incarcerated. The Ephesians lived in a rich and prosperous region, accustomed to profit and victory. However, they now saw their spiritual mentor, the man who taught them to live victoriously, imprisoned and on the brink of being martyred. It was indeed a seemingly contradictory situation: how to speak of triumph while living what seemed like a defeat? (Luke 23:35).

But Paul was a man with a differentiated spiritual vision. His experiences with God taught him to look beyond the natural sight, discerning the divine purpose even amid adversities. He saw God's action in his imprisonment and knew that, in the end, the Lord would manifest His glory to the brothers in Ephesus (Job 19:25).

This must also be our posture in the face of the difficult situations that God allows us to go through. There is no miracle that does not arise from adversities. There is only a solution if there are problems; there is only liberation if there are prisons; there is only healing if there are diseases; there is only deliverance if there are dangers; there is only resurrection if there is death (2 Corinthians 4:17).

The order for us, the church of the Lord Jesus, is the same that Paul left to the brothers in Ephesus: DO NOT LOSE HEART!

God bless you!