Suffering

Suffering. Not a popular subject. Especially in this "feel good" and "have what I want" culture of ours.

I often talk with Christians who become angry and discouraged in suffering. Financial issues. Health issues. Family issues. Employment issues. The ways we can struggle are endless, it would seem.

I believe that when we see this life as temporary and have our eye on eternity with God, it changes how we do suffering. Paul's focus was certainly on eternity:

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

The writer of Hebrews apparently expected that we would suffer as Christians, as evidenced by those who have gone before us:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

James believed that suffering produced good fruit in us here on earth:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Paul had his priorities right. He considered loss and suffering to be nothing at all compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. (We've talked a lot about this passage over the past several months.) He saw suffering as something that God uses in our lives to make us more like Him:

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:8-11

Probably because of his "eternity mindedness," Paul found himself content in all circumstances. He knew it was just temporary:

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

I encourage each of you to read the entire book of Philippians. It is a short read, but worthwhile. As you read it, ask yourself if you would have written that kind of a letter if you had been in prison.

What are your thoughts about suffering? Talk to me!

When You're Down

Today we talked about one of the most beloved passages in the New Testament. It is one that is often used to comfort people who are grieving a loss, but today we talked about it in the context of feeling desperate, worried, and hopeless. That pretty much sums up the way the disciples were feeling when Jesus spoke these words to them after telling them he was going to be betrayed:

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." John 14:1-4

Then Thomas asked Him how they would know the way to where He was going when they didn't even know WHERE He was going. Jesus answered:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6

Jesus apparently knew that the disciples were feeling afraid of losing Him. They didn't want Him to go away, but wanted to stay with Him forever.

He encouraged them that He was still going to be with them, even when their senses couldn't see Him, hear Him, or touch Him. They had to "know Him" by faith, and they had to "be with Him" by faith. They had to trust Him to keep His promises even when they could no longer see Him.

What can we learn from this? Well, we have to learn to rely on our spiritual eyes and ears. If we only accept what we can see, hear, and touch with our physical senses, then it is no longer faith.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

So the next time you are feeling desperate or hopeless or ready to panic, don't rely on your physical senses. Rely more on your "spiritual senses", and remember that He is with you (Joshua 1:5), He keeps his promises (II Corinthians 1:20), and remember Who He is (John 14:6).

Instead of believing what your eyes see (the problem), believe in Him instead. Instead of believing what you hear (discouraging words), believe in Him instead. He is "I AM" and He is bigger than any problem you or I will ever face.

So what are your thoughts?

It's Not What You See, It's HOW You See It!

This morning, we talked about the Israelite spies who chose to believe what they saw with their eyes instead of believing God. This was an awesome God who had displayed His power on their behalf over and over. There were 40 years of wandering in the desert after that as a consequence for choosing not to believe God. Apparently God took their unbelief very seriously.

But today what I want to talk about is how our natural senses cause us to see things in a way that is different from God sees.

You see, what we see as bad, God often sees as good. What we see as something to be avoided, God sees as something to be embraced. What we see as something to escape from, God sees as an opportunity to grow.

I am reminded of the Sermon on the Mount, commonly known as The Beatitudes. Here are the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."

"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

God asks us to embrace our emptiness and to do the opposite of what we are led to believe we ought to do. God wants us to understand that it is only as we come to Him as broken people that we can receive all He offers us. He wants us to know that it is only as we value what He values that we will see through His eyes. And when we see through His eyes, we are far less likely to do what the Israelites did, because we will not see the problem as a problem, but will see it as an opportunity for God to do something!

Thoughts? Talk to me!

Nothing Worthwhile is Really Free

No pain, no gain!

You get what you pay for!

There are no free lunches!

Those are some of the expressions we commonly hear that underscore the idea that anything worthwhile will come at a price. The price may be money, hard work, blood, sweat, tears, or whatever, but there is a cost.

When we talk about the wonderful freedom that we have in Christ, we must remember that it came at a great price. A price paid by our Lord and Savior.

Have you ever considered that? Have you ever really thought about not only what He did for you, but what it means in your life? He bought you freedom, yes, but He also bought you peace, abundant life, hope, and a host of other benefits. All for you, a sinner who had no way of extricating yourself from the grip that sin had on your life.

We owed a huge debt, and the tab just ran up and up with every day of our lives. We were born sinners. Ka-ching! (We were in trouble at that point, because the debt was already bigger than we could pay.) Then we threw a temper tantrum when we didn't get our way. Ka-ching! We lied to our mom! Ka-ching! We cheated on a test! Ka-ching! Before long, the tab was enormous.

God intervened, because we were helpless. We had no ability to pay the debt.

Now here's the cool part: If we had died for our sins, it would have been a just payment. But God decided to go beyond that. He decided to have Jesus die for our sins, but not just to pay the debt, but also to set us free and buy us life eternal.

It would be kind of like a guy committing heinous crimes, someone else stepping in to do the time in prison, and then at the same time giving the criminal a special gift. Where in the universe would that happen, folks? But that is exactly what Jesus did for us!

One of my biggest concerns is that we seriously don't get it. We, many of us, see ourselves as people that aren't "all that bad" and we just needed Jesus to "spruce us up a little." Not true. Not true on any level. We were broken and dirty, and Jesus found us in a garbage heap and took us in to His family and His home. He gave us a cloak of righteousness to wear, and put our past behind us.

It is a good thing that God "forgets" our sins and He remembers them no more, but it is also a good thing if we don't. I don't want to see us walking around depressed and feeling guilty for our past, but I do think it is good to never forget what He saved us from. That reminds me of a chorus:

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then.
Show me where you brought me from
And where I could have been.
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget,
So remind me, remind me dear Lord.

If we know where we came from, the natural outcome of that is to walk in gratefulness to a Lord and Savior who we serve faithfully and obediently for the rest of our lives.