Suffering

1 Pet. 18-25

Suffering is definitely not considered a positive in our culture. But in God's culture, it is! Since we live in this world in a body of flesh, part of our world's culture has seeped in and taken root in our hearts, especially the part about suffering. Yet, God's culture is stronger and has claimed significantly more of our thoughts and hearts. So as I read these words about suffering, I must buy into them! I must be all in!

There is no innate credit for the person who does wrong and suffers for it. In fact that is called justice! But for the person who is good who thinks of others, who is a good neighbor, who pays his bills and his taxes, who is honest and loving, for this person suffering is a gracious thing in the sight of God. It is a gracious thing because it is only through His grace that someone can endure the suffering without getting bitter or hardened.

Even more than that, our suffering is our calling. The believer is called to suffer because Christ suffered. He is our example. What he suffered, we must! Following in His footsteps is no cakewalk! Jesus continually (and not just once) entrusted Himself to His Father. He knew and understood that suffering  could not be accomplished without the Father. Suffering that is gracious has a loving and forgiving spirit toward the one inducing the suffering. Suffering that comes out of nowhere and takes a loved one with no notice can only be endured with the Father. Any suffering no matter how horrendous demands the grace of God to be endured. Without His grace, suffering can cause bitterness, desolation, devastation, depression, mental and physical states from which a person cannot recover. Without the grace of God, suffering becomes a black whole swallowing a part of a person or even the entire person. 

So when it says that Jesus, God in the flesh, someone with all the angels of heaven at His beck and call, had to commit Himself to the Father constantly and continually to endure suffering, then so must we! How can we think that we can handle it on our own? How foolish and prideful! This calling demands God's enabling!

Father,

I confess that I have not always relied on Your grace as I suffer. Help me to do this Give me Your grace to ask for the grace that I need. You must do it all in my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen