Longinus was commissioned as a missionary to North Africa in the sixth century. One of his problems was that he was well known in Constantinople and the Emperor refused to allow him to leave – he was thrown in prison as a way of keeping him from going as a missionary.
Longinus had a further problem – he was very conspicuous in his community, because he had no hair. Yes, he was bald! Every time he tried to escape he was recognised and arrested. Finally, he managed to get hold of a wig and slipped past the security guards during a heavy storm. He eventually got to Nubia where he had a powerful impact on the Church.
So, what’s the importance of this for us? (Besides that bald guys are cool!)
Think about what great lengths he went too in order to serve Jesus. If he had given up after being imprisoned, he wouldn’t have changed the church in Nubia. How often do we give up serving Christ, when we are faced with a few obstacles? If we choose to serve Jesus we should EXPECT obstacles to come our way.
Let’s not give up when we face the first of many challenges. If God has called us to a particular task he will help us overcome all the challenges we will face.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za
