Suffering

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope….”  Romans 5:3-4

I don’t like suffering. Who does.

Scripture, however is very clear…and honest…that suffering is a part of life.  I suppose, compared to many, I haven’t suffered much.  But I do know that all of us suffer in our own way.  There are things in all of our lives that we would like to have changed; the reality is that most of them are up to God’s perfect will as to whether they will change or not.  Some of these things produce irritation; some produce downright anguish.

Some may see Paul’s words in the reading above as putting a positive ‘spin’ on suffering.  That's not it at all. God, working through these words, puts a God blessing on suffering.  So we are taught that suffering leads to endurance, character and hope.

I have known some tremendous people that are filled with endurance, character and hope.  And none of them have been strangers to suffering.  And it’s not that God brings on the suffering, the world we live in is inherently filled with opportunities for suffering. But we are reminded scripture tells us that “ we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (visit Romans 8:28)

In the good times and the bad.  In the rejoicing and in the suffering.  God is good.

Children

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."  - 1 John 2:1

I’ve reached an age where I don’t like being called a child.  Truth be told, I probably reached that age 45 years ago, but still.  I don’t like it.  So when I read the beginning of the sentence penned by the apostle John, I start to bristle.  “My little children….”  Who is he talking to?

The answer is: me.  And you.

I am reminded that Jesus once said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (visit Matthew 18:3)  Yikes!

John in the passage above is just addressing Jesus’ trusters and followers as they; err, we should be addressed.  And he is giving his children a simple child-like truth.  Learn not to sin; but if you do, we have one who get the sin forgiven – Jesus.  The adult in me doesn’t like to admit that I sin.  The child in me not only admits that I sin, but rejoices in the fact that my sin is forgiven.

The adult in me gets very prideful.  The child in me gets wide eyed with wonder.  May the child in me win over the adult in me.    

Children…rejoice!

Thirst

God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

I’ve lived there. In a dry and weary land.

I also just completed a week of service in such a place.  The Navajo Indian reservation is a dry and weary land if there ever was one.  At times, the hunt for water there is anxious. King David knew all about such lands, as Israel was such a realm. David compared where our heads and hearts should be to the feeling of being desperate for the slightest bit of moisture and the tiniest morsel of bread.

On our own, we are dry.  On our own, we are faint.  We thirst and hunger for something more. Sometimes we look in the right direction, sometimes we look in erroneous directions.  Sometimes we just forget to look, and live resigned to thirst and hunger.  It’s easy to get complacent and used to the conditions of the desert.

Then I’m reminded.  Even the desert has its moments.  In northeast Arizona its called monsoon season.  This year, the early part of September saw some flooding; there was evidence of an ample supply of rain water in recent weeks.  Although experience tells me that it will soon revert back to the dry and weary land it really is.

But seeking God has its monsoon moments.  When all is watered and the thirst and hunger go away.

Enjoy those moments. Remember from whom they come. But.  Stay thirsty and hungry for the source. 

Welcome

"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” - Romans 15:7

A couple of weeks ago, there was a bombing in church in Pakistan.  Over 80 people were killed, many others injured as the event happened as people were leaving a worship service.  The purpose of this post is not to dwell on man’s inhumanity to man – for any good Reformed thinker understands the concept of total depravity, but to point out something I hadn’t thought much about.

There are Christians in Pakistan. The concept surprises me.  It shouldn’t

Sometimes we Americans think we are the only people in the world; American Christians really get awfully wrapped up in themselves…and we forget.  God has his people all over the globe. And they are not all pale skinned like me.

We don’t just need to remember that God has his people all around the world; we need to act on it.  Paul says in the reading above, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Act on it.  Somehow, some way we need to reach out and welcome.  Not people in our neighborhood who look like us, but fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

Like…in Pakistan.

I’m guessing there are a lot of frightened and hurting Christians in Pakistan who could use a reaching out to.  If I can find how to do so, I will share it.

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God

Grind

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” - Hebrews 10:35-36

“We have the need for endurance.”  This phrase makes living for Christ seem like a bit of a grind.  OK, let’s be honest it is.  At times, anyway.  If we are truly living for Christ, if we are living for and truly working for Christ, it will be easy –said no one ever.

C.S. Lewis described what Christ calls for out of his people this way:  “Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.” (Mere Christianity)  

The paragraph exhausts me. So there is a real need for endurance.  We have to be able to tolerate the grind; for as the writer of Hebrews notes, “you may receive what is promised.”

We will receive what is promised. Be confident in that, do not throw that confidence away. Because there will be a great reward.

Work. Give ourselves to God.  Endure.  Christ will get us all through the grind.