We all face trials from various directions. No two people are exactly alike, nor are their trials and outcomes. Perhaps we can learn from the examples of two men who faced problems from completely different directions, resulting in two entirely different outcomes.

In Acts 7:54-58, the Jews whom Stephen had just denounced

were cut to their heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

Stephen's example of faithfulness, courage, sacrifice, and dedication is the stuff that books are written about.

Having a day off recently, I decided to use some of the time to catch up on my scheduled reading in The Chronological Bible. I resumed in Colossians, one of Paul's letters from prison, which he wrote around AD 58-60, nearly three decades after Stephen's martyrdom. He writes in Colossians 4:14, "Luke, the beloved physician and Demas greet you." I thought, "Hey, Paul is saying something good about Demas," recalling that, later, he had written to Timothy, informing him that "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica" (II Timothy 4:10).

Smith's Bible Dictionary notes that Demas was one of Paul's companions during his first imprisonment in Rome. Philemon 1:24 relates that Paul considered him a fellow laborer with Mark, Aristarchus, and Luke. He was also with the apostle during at least the initial stages of his second imprisonment but left him shortly before Paul's death (c. AD 64).

He left Paul just when the apostle may have needed him most. Paul's wording is telling: "Demas has forsaken me." In Greek, the word "forsaken" is enkataleipō, (Strong's #1459), "to leave, leave behind; to forsake, abandon." Some commentators say it means "to leave in a very vulnerable and helpless position." Jesus used the same term of desperation on the cross when God turned away from the sins that had been laid on Him, leaving our Savior utterly alone.

What happened in those four years between AD 60 and 64 that turned Demas aside? The two had been close, but despite that, it did not prevent him from forsaking the apostle in his hour of need. Paul writes that Demas "loved this present world." Did he leave because the holidays attracted him? Was he offered a job that would consume his time? Did his family entice him home? Was he tired of the stress of not fitting in with the rest of society?

The Bible does not give us an obvious answer. Chrysostom, the fourth-century Archbishop of Constantinople, states that Demas returned to Thessalonica simply because it was his home territory. Others suppose he may have chosen to live there because it was the capital and most populous Macedonian city, a great center of merchandise, and he may have had prosperous connections there. Besides, leaving the apostle would, perhaps, give him peace and respite from the persecutions he had already endured with Paul and his company.

We have all heard stories of people, longtime, faithful church members, who lost their vision and stopped attending church altogether during the doctrinal chaos in the early 1990s. It does not take much searching on the Internet to find stories of former members who abandoned their beliefs after many years. For instance, Reddit contains several posts of that kind. Here is one:

Former Worldwide [Church of God] member here in UK, and an atheist. My dad is still a member but my mum, brother, sisters, and I are no longer members. I left 25 years ago when I was a teenager, with the support of my mum who was a former member by then. I can remember [the church] being a part of my life from a very early age in the 1980s. . . . No birthday parties, no Christmas celebrations or playing with other kids after school. I didn't have any friends in school because of this, as I was considered different. Oh, and the Saturday Sabbath was definitely considered odd by my peers.

The first ever Christmas I celebrated was in 2001 when I was 21 and I was engaged to someone not in the church and my mum, who had left the church years before, got my dad to agree to have a Christmas meal and decorations up to look "normal" to my fiancé. That was a huge moment as my dad was still very much involved with the church.

Sadly, people believe that by turning from God's way of life, they will become free. We cannot judge the veracity of anyone's calling but our own, but Mark 8:36 comes to mind: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

We can take warning from Demas' horrible choices but learn wisdom from Stephen's actions. The Bible speaks of Jesus, usually seated, at God's right hand sixteen times, but at Stephen's martyrdom, we see the only places where the text explicitly shows our Savior standing at His right hand (Acts 7:55-56). One stands when excited, when cheering, when giving an ovation, and when honoring someone. Jesus may have done all these things for Stephen.

He was the very first Christian martyr. His name, stephanos (Strong's #4735), means "crown," "the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in public games." Metaphorically, it can be defined as "the crown (wreath) which is the reward of the righteousness (sic)." Stephen remained faithful to the end and made a great witness for God. So, Jesus honored him.

John Stephen Akhwari, a marathon runner from Tanzania, competed in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. At the 19-kilometer point of the 42-kilometer race, he cramped up due to the city's high altitude, causing him to fall, skinning and dislocating his knee and injuring his shoulder when he hit the pavement.

But Akhwari continued running. Race officials had already awarded the victors their medals when an onsite television crew learned that one runner had yet to complete the course. The few remaining spectators cheered Akhwari across the finish line, a full hour after the winners. In a later interview, asked why he had not just dropped out of the race, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

It is extremely doubtful that our race will resemble Stephen's. Much more likely, it will look like that of this wounded Tanzanian runner. But remember, our glory is not that we were called to participate but to finish what we started!

The apostle Peter writes in I Peter 5:4, ". . . and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown [stephanos] of glory that does not fade away." We do not really comprehend and appreciate the reward awaiting us at our Savior's return. Demas certainly did not. Paul writes in I Corinthians 2:9 that it is far beyond the imagination of mortal man: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

To avoid Demas' fate, consider a few steps we can take. First, remember God's promises and personal commitment to us. Second, never forget the reward of the righteous. Third, ignore the distractions as much as possible. And finally, endure the pitfalls and never quit.

We are nearing the finish line. Although we cannot see Him with our eyes, Jesus stands at the Father's right hand, applauding our efforts, encouraging us, cheering each one of us to victory!