by David Brenneman
"Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10.
Paul did not take what was happening to him personally.
He realized that his suffering was the direct result of his mission in life. Even his thorn in the flesh was for Christ's sake. It was given to him to keep him from forfeiting his ministry and damaging the cause of Christ. Paul was not glorying in
suffering for suffering's sake. It was for Christ's sake. There was purpose in all he experienced.
Your mission in life is to bring glory to God through the spreading of the gospel of Christ. You may never stand in a pulpit you may never leave your hometown. Regardless of where you go or the opportunities you have, your mission is still the same. When you become consumed by God's call on
your life, everything will take on new meaning and significant. You will begin to see every facet of your life-including your pain-as a means through which God can work to bring others to Him, When God uses the adversity in your ife to draw people to Himself, you have suffered for Christ's sake. We know God can use our time, our money, and our talents. Why not our suffering? I have heard many invitations in preachers have asked people to dedicate children, and businesses to the Lord's service. I have yet to hear a preacher challenge his people to dedicate their adversity to the Lord. Yet nothing gets the attention of the lost world more quickly than a saint who is suffering successfully. Sorrow and grief are powerful tools in the right hands.
For whose sake are you suffering?
This is an excerpt from Dr. Charles Stanley's book "How to Handle Adversity". I'm not taken to many books outside of my study Bibles but this one I couldn't put down for the most part. I like his books as well as Dr. David Jeremiah's books.
In part this particular chapter caused me to reconsider some aspects of my life that honestly have been bugging me my whole life. I do have challenges in my life that are in fact a result of the way He caused me to be born. Scripture says that while I was being knit in my mother's womb He knew me. I do indeed have physical and mental challenges that have often been a source of struggles for me. It was because of this book that I am only now beginning to understand that these things are my own "thorn in the flesh" to keep me from exalting myself as well. That I too ought to glory in my weaknesses as Paul had learned to do.
It's a possibility that Paul's thorn in the flesh was physical due to how Satan's work on Job's physical body was external only. Satan didn't possess Job to bring about all the painful suffering of the head to toe boils. Paul's could easily have been arthritis to the extent he couldn't travel to see the Churches that his heart longed to see face-to-face.
We aren't limited by anything in Christ Jesus that isn't there for His purpose in our lives in that these things are to bring Him glory.
My body may not be 100% such as most people in this world enjoy but I am still a child of God, saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.
My limitations, your limitations, can be used of God for those good works that we do in order for people to see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.
Dr. Stanley said it in that excerpt. You may never stand behind a pulpit but you do have a mission in life to reach others. In Christ we all are on a mission as Ambassadors for Christ in God.
We either are embracing our calling or we are embracing the world. You cannot love, honor, cherish, adhere to, obey, both.
He aptly pointed out in an earlier chapter that many many unbelieving people can look, act, live like Believers but have never professed that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior. He said that a great many people are actually living life in their own strength and selves better than a great many Christians.
It has been an eye-opening experience reading this book on adversity.
What are you honestly angry at God for allowing in your life, rather than thanking Him for allowing, in order that you fully embrace your calling in Christ? Many people are yet they deny being mad at God.
Many refuse to believe they have not been following their calling in Christ yet their fruits show otherwise.
A sad state of affairs for me personally is that I didn't understand much of what I have began understanding in the last several months many decades ago.
Chasing after things, after feelings, after emotions, to keep from accepting my thorn as being from God for His purpose in my life.
My Mom did nothing wrong before I was born. No more than anyone else was responsible for Paul's thorn in the flesh. No more than anyone was responsible for Job's.
When you come to Christ it isn't to enable you to be empowered to live for yourself without consequence.
It isn't for you to be free to spend your time, energy and efforts to build your life around your wants and desires. As a friend points out often: it's not about me and it's not about now.
We can choose anger, depression, self-pity or anything else or we can thank Jesus for everything He created us to be, embrace it, and be like Isaiah "here am I, send me".
Yes, this is a different kind of post, but it is what it is.
My mission in Christ is to point people to Jesus or point them back to Jesus. Nothing else is of as great an importance. Not my job, not my hobbies, not my home or even family and friends.
Everything comes and goes throughout life for everyone. Nothing is built to last but the relationships we have with each other in Christ. Even though many are put on hold because of death they will continue when Christ returns. At least for Believers.
Those who still haven't come to Christ for salvation will only know the severe burdens of the separation they will know for eternity from Jesus. It will be a painful torment that will never know an end. No one in this world has experienced how great a separation that is. Only one ever did. The one who gave His life to save mankind.
What is your takeaway? Really consider the depths of "In everything give thanks to the glory of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ".
Really consider whether you HAVE been loving the world and the things of this world more than your mission in life for Christ Jesus.
Jesus isn't going to ask you about your house or cars or your investments or inventions. He's going to only be interested in what you did in your life truly for Him that's only rooted in a true, right relationship with Him.
Nobody wants to hear "depart from Me for I never knew you!"
Reading this chapter of this book yesterday showed me that I am on the right track for God's will for my life. What is Jesus trying to show you?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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