The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: WEAK (07/22/21)
In the middle of the night, Mark woke, burning with shame. In his dreams he had relived the time that he had run away from Paul and Barnabas. That missionary journey was far harder than Mark had expected. And then when Paul became sick, everything became all too overwhelming. He couldn't handle it. So he left in the middle of the night.
 
Barnabas, son of encouragement as always and faithful kinsman, forgave him. But when the time came for Paul and Barnabas to go on another missionary journey, Paul had neither forgiven nor forgotten. Mark was thrilled when he heard that his kinsman wanted to take him on another missionary journey. A second chance to prove himself! It was a chance to show he had acted weak but was not weak. His actions did not define him. But they did to Paul. Barnabas stood by Mark, but Paul was adamant, and Paul and Barnabas split up.
 
Guilt coursed through Mark's mind over the fact that he had been the impetus for Paul and Barnabas splitting up. Barnabas, ever the encourager, told Mark, "Don't blame yourself. We are all weak at some time. But we can call on the strength of God. And God has used this circumstance to create two teams, instead of one."
 
Mark's head agreed with Barnabas, but sometimes in the middle of the night, his heart would disagree.
 
A few hours later, still groggy from his interrupted sleep, Mark was talking with Timothy.
 
“I just got a letter from Paul,” Timothy told him, “I think you’ll find the end of the letter very interesting.” He left Mark to read in private.
 
 Mark unrolled the scroll, his heart beating in anticipation. What would Paul say?  As he read the letter, his own name grabbed his attention.
 
“That leaves only Luke with me, so find Mark and bring him with you, for he is a tremendous help for me in my ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11)
 
Paul wanted him! The words “tremendous help” rang joyously in his mind. The hurt of his heart was mended by God's truth. God had used his moment of weakness, and it no longer needed to haunt him.

*****

We all have our moments of weakness. And they can haunt us in the middle of the night. But we serve the God of the second chance (and third and fourth and 490th. After all, Jesus told Peter to forgive his brother seventy times seven .)
 
Our moments of weakness do not define us. When we are weak, God is strong. If we let Him, God can redeem our moments of weakness for His glory.
 
 
 
 

 
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 621 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Ruthie Alekseeva
07/31/21
Well written with a good message. I couldn't see anything that could improve it :)
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
08/05/21
You did a great job of retelling this story and reminded me even the heroes of the Bible struggled at time. I needed this message right now and you touched my heart.
Noel Mitaxa 
11/28/21
You've shown a great grasp of the biblical background to Mark's story. I realise that it's hard to top a first placing, but I feel it would have even more impact in the first person - similar to your monologues - thoughb without any netion of staging the message. But yes, it's hard to beat a first placing... ;-)
Noel Mitaxa 
11/28/21
Let's try again - this time without the unnnoticed typos: "I feel it would have even more impact in the first person - similar to your monologues - though without any mention of staging the message." :-)