“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

  - Matthew 6.34

During his stay in Milan, [Columbanus] resolved to attack the errors of the heretics, that is, the Arian perfidy, which he wanted to cut out and exterminate with the cauterizing knife of the Scriptures. And he composed an excellent and learned work against them.

  - Jonas, Life of St. Columban, Italian, 7th century[1]

Disciplines
Wherever he went in his journey for the Lord, Columbanus found himself in the midst of controversy. Every day brought new troubles, and every trouble brought new opportunities to further the Kingdom of God.

In Gaul (France) he fought battles with worldly bishops, who hated him for his boldness and for the fact that thousands fled to him for instruction in the Gospel.

There, too, he struggled with the royal court, because he would not – unlike those same bishops – wink at their sinful ways.

When, run out of Gaul, he finally made it to Italy, Arianism – the heresy condemned by the Council of Nicea in 325 – was still widespread. This is because the Empire in the West was still ruled by Gothic emperors of one tribal group or another, who, when they invaded Italy in the 5th century, had already been converted to Arianism by the missionary, Ulfilas, late in the 4th century.

These were the same rulers who brutally murdered Boethius, that great Christian thinker and statesman in the generation before Columbanus.

The point is simply that Columbanus knew he didn’t have to go here or there or yonder to find some enemy of the Gospel to confront. Trouble confronted him every day, right where he was, wherever he was.

He was extremely adept, however, at preparing himself for battle and at engaging the offenders at the highest possible level (trusting, no doubt, in the curative powers of spiritual “trickle-down”).

Columbanus understood that the life of faith is a struggle, and that there are always enemies who need to be engaged, exposed, and subdued, whether they be hypocrites, power-brokers, or false teachers, or the sin that continues stubbornly in our own souls. In order to prevail in this life, we need to be disciplined in the ways of the Lord – His Word, prayer, and walking in the Spirit.

We’ve all heard the cliché advising us to “grow where you’re planted.” The Christian, however, should take up the challenge to “fight where you stand” against whatever enemies of the Gospel may occupy his sphere of influence.

Ignorance? Hostility? False teaching? Sin and hypocrisy? Whatever it may be, and whether it be in us or in our Personal Mission Field, let us prepare daily to fight the good fight, trusting the Lord to use us as agents of grace and truth against the evil of the day, every day. “To the Law and the testimony!” “Call unto Me…” These are the disciplines that can help us fight where we stand.

Don’t go looking for trouble, friends. Be patient and be faithful, and trouble will find you.

Be ready.

Psalm 12.5-7 (Hamburg: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”)
Rise up, O Lord, and rescue all Your precious children, sore distressed.
Save those who faithfully on You call; grant them deliv’rance, peace, and rest.

Your words are pure and proven true, like silver seven times refined;
You will preserve Your Word ever new, and keep the heart to You inclined.

Use me, O Lord, to stand for truth and to fight for the Gospel of our Lord.

Support Your Shepherds!
As the devil and his henchmen delighted to attack Columbanus and the other leaders of the Celtic Revival, so they delight to attack your pastor and the other shepherds of your church. Paul commands us to “recognize” and “esteem” those who have oversight of our souls (1 Thess. 5.12, 13). Your pastor and shepherds need to know you appreciate their labors on your behalf. Pray for them daily. Make it a point to send an email to them, telling them that you’re praying for them, and for the work God has given them. Affirm and thank them regularly. Hold them up before the Lord in prayer and give Him thanks and praise for them daily. Pray that God would make your pastor and shepherds to be like Columbanus, fighting the good fight every square inch of the way. Then tell them this is how you’re praying for them.

And if you want to give them a challenge as you encourage them, present them with a copy of The Gospel of the Kingdom. You can order one – or several, for all your shepherds – by clicking this link to our online store.

Your prayers can bring new vision, discipline, and love to your pastors and shepherds. Do not fail them in this important duty.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.