No one in
their right mind ever chooses to suffer, be it through health, wealth or
relationship. But choosing God’s will in our life, even if it means that we have
to learn through the means of suffering in one way or another is something
altogether different. We are also encouraged to be very careful in how we interfere with a
lesson that is being taught in other Christian’s life as we see them suffer as well. 1 Peter 4:19 says, “Let those
who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing
good…”. Jesus understood suffering better than anyone, and it is only through a
relationship with Him that we can understand what God is after in His dealings
with us or others. It is never beneficial for us to seek to carry out God’s request or
will through shortcuts of our own, as we often try to do. God’s way is
always the way of suffering at some point in life. Some of the suffering that
we must bear, is not always meant for us personally. Yet, their design is to
make everyone involved useful in God’s hands in some way or another. It can
also enable us to understand what takes place in the lives of others, once we
understand how God works through suffering.
Because God works on this level, we are to never be surprised by what comes our way. Dealing with a difficult person for instance might very well cause you to think, that you cannot deal with nor tolerate them. However, God tells us that we can and gives us sufficient opportunities to learn from Him concerning that situation. But, if we are not careful, we will turn away from what He is saying, and not heed the lesson that we are being taught, because it is too much trouble for us to do so. Then again, if we are going to be used by God, He will take us through a number of experiences that will stretch us to the point of being broken over it, and that is a good thing. Our sufferings should produce in us the same thing that it did in Jesus as He so earnestly prayed in the Garden before His arrest. He said, “…what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour"? But for this purpose I came to this hour. "Father, glorify Your name." John 12:27-28. The human side of Jesus knew what He was spiritually up against and dreaded what He would have to face. But as He prayed and surrendered His will to His Father's will, peace, comfort and a new will to carry on flooded His being.
Because God works on this level, we are to never be surprised by what comes our way. Dealing with a difficult person for instance might very well cause you to think, that you cannot deal with nor tolerate them. However, God tells us that we can and gives us sufficient opportunities to learn from Him concerning that situation. But, if we are not careful, we will turn away from what He is saying, and not heed the lesson that we are being taught, because it is too much trouble for us to do so. Then again, if we are going to be used by God, He will take us through a number of experiences that will stretch us to the point of being broken over it, and that is a good thing. Our sufferings should produce in us the same thing that it did in Jesus as He so earnestly prayed in the Garden before His arrest. He said, “…what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour"? But for this purpose I came to this hour. "Father, glorify Your name." John 12:27-28. The human side of Jesus knew what He was spiritually up against and dreaded what He would have to face. But as He prayed and surrendered His will to His Father's will, peace, comfort and a new will to carry on flooded His being.
Brokenness may
be the very thing we are needing to bring us to the point of humility and accepting the will of God no matter what it may cost us. Sorrow
is one of the biggest facts in life. Wallowing over the fact that we wish it
were not, is spinning our wheels and wasting our time. Sin, sorrow, and
suffering are real in everyone’s life, and it is not for us to say that God
made a mistake by allowing them. If you will accept yourself in the fiery pain,
of sorrow and suffering in your life with humility, God will elevate you to a higher spiritual ground and make you
nourishment for those around you as well as those that He will bring into your path.
May I encourage you today sweet friend, do not waste any suffering that God may
allow to come your way, not even the smallest amounts of it. Are you partakers
of Christ’s sufferings today? Are you ready for God to stamp out that personal
ambition that is in you and destroy your individual decisions by supernaturally
transforming them? If so, it may very well mean, not knowing why God is taking
you the way that you are going until He is ready to reveal it to you. Will you wait
for that? We often times never realize at the time what God is putting us
through and then suddenly, we come to the place where He reveals the purpose of
that suffering and we “get it”. Until His answers come to us, we must be like
Christ, who knew that no one on earth could understood what He was going
through or the purpose of it just as Peter did not understand in Matthew 16:23, yet Jesus settled with only the sympathy of His
Father and the ministering angels. Never measure your life by how or
where you may be at the moment, nor think that you are of no use to God there. For God places
His children where they will bring Him the most glory and we are totally
incapable of judging where that may be. No matter where you are right now in
your life, it is not a waste. Take the role of the postage stamp and stick with
it until it gets you where you are intended to go!
Hold Fast,
Bren
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