For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17
Suffering isn’t always something to avoid.
Of course… you should avoid putting your hand on a hot stove. That is called “unwise suffering” or “moronic pain”. But there is a suffering, although painful, that leads to a strengthening of the spirit. The joy that follows will not be squandered.
All to often, I see the direction of our culture moving towards a world without any pain. And although this is something God promises us for eternity, this painless life being promoted is one without God. One that will leave us numb. Heaven will be a place with no more pain, no more sorrow. Not because He took our pain away but because we will be fully reunited with God. The Christian should not be avoiding pain, or seeking a “numb” life. Christ calls us to follow Him to His death. It is there at the foot of the cross that we find our desperation and dependence for our Lord.
Avoidance doesn’t make pain go away… it only prolongs it. And it becomes far far worse. But when we walk through it with Christ, we grow in a new found wisdom. We grow in our understanding of our union with Christ. Each time we endure, we are reminded that He endured. It is not just that He is with us through hardship, but that we were there in His. Christ endured the suffering of the cross for us, so that He could endure our death with us. Suffering is not eradicated, for we still experience pain in our lifetime. But suffering’s trajectory has changed. Its result changed from one of sorrow to joyful reunion. It was a suffering that has rescued us.
Suffering with Christ transforms us and prepares us for the power that resurrected Him. If we are united in His death, then we are also united in His resurrection. We might experience trouble on this earth, but we know the end result of trouble.
For what amount of trouble could dampen the future experience of His glory?
Rick Terletzky
Excerpt from "Fight the Good Fight"
©2019 Kingship
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