Saturday, March 10, 2007

Scripture reading for today: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Think about: What does it mean to suffer?

How many times a week do you suffer for the sake of Jesus? When compared
to what He endured most of us would say, “really, never – not like
that.” But is that really true? Surely, one would have to agree that we
rarely, if ever, have to physically suffer like Christ did, at least not
here in the United States. But there was a deeper suffering Christ did
for us that we might experience to some degree.
Have you ever heard someone take His name in vain? How did that sit with
you? Maybe you have been the offender. When someone uses God’s name
profanely we suffer. First for God Himself, for this is such an affront
to His Holiness, He is bound to experience grief. Grief over the fact
that someone doesn’t yet know Him, grief over the fact that He has been
taken lightly. We suffer the same grief for those who do not know Him,
we wonder how could someone, saved by His sacrificial grace, be so
calloused as to grieve the Holy Spirit. And then we pray that God may
make Himself known to them so they might have the victory we have.
We suffer in other ways too. When someone assigns the labels of
intolerance, insensitivity, unloving, or judgmental to us, it hurts us.
This is where we are the student of Jesus, taking His example of “taking
it” for the Father’s sake. To really live the example He gave us while
he was here and not be all those things the world assigns to us. This is
the sign of a Godly person, but it is not easy is it?
Each day we need to keep in the forefront of our minds that we are sheep
returned to the shepherd, and that by our membership in the flock we are
to suffer for His sake as an example to those around us. Each day we
need to remember that we are not required to do it alone, as if we
could. Each day our prayer should be “Lord, help me be the example of
Your Son here on earth, so that others might want what we have in You”.
God Bless You.

Pastor Dan Helix, Awakenings Christian Church