Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
“What shall I say of fortitude, without which neither wisdom nor justice is of any worth? Fortitude is not of the body, but is a constancy of soul; wherewith we are conquerors in righteousness, patiently bear all adversities, and in prosperity are not puffed up. This fortitude he lacks who is overcome by pride, anger, greed, drunkenness, and the like. Neither have they fortitude who when in adversity make shift to escape at their souls’ expense; wherefore the Lord saith, ‘Fear not those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.’ In like manner those who are puffed up in prosperity and abandon themselves to excessive joviality cannot be called strong. For how can they be called strong who cannot hide and repress the heart’s emotion? Fortitude is never conquered, or if conquered, is not fortitude.”
Bruno of Cologne in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 23 April reading.
The favor of God and fortitude sustained us. I am happy to say that we made it safely home. But our hearts remain in Ukraine.
Michael and Nina Cherenkov continue to serve in the dangerous Donetsk Oblast through 19 July. Daily they don a helmet and bullet-proof vest. Why? The people have no water to drink since the breaking of the dam. So, with pastors of local churches, they deliver life-saving water (Michael and a pastor pictured above).
Pray for their safety over the next ten days or so as they do emergency relief work.
And praise God for the impact that follows fortitude. And if you want to support this work, GTP is still gathering funds to deliver hope and help. Click here to give. We can overstate how this aid is winning desperate souls.
Many people reported to us that they have come to faith in Jesus Christ on account of the war. They lost everything and found Jesus through the fortitude of faithful servants.
Want to add this fortitude to your faith? Bruno would say to start by putting on humility, kindness, generosity, and moderation.
When you do, the key shift that happens is that you stop living for yourself and you start living for others. And you move, toward brokenness rather than from it. How can you get out of the safety and protection of your comfort zone to fill water bottles for thirsty people, not in Donetsk, but right where God has you?
You can’t rescue people from death without going to the front of battle lines and offering life. Trust us, the people are receptive and you meet Jesus there.