"SUFFERING"

How are you doing this fine day that the Lord has made? Today is December 10th and the present temperature is 62' degrees and the high for today in North Carolina is expected to be 73'- 75' degrees. I'm reminded of my first years of marriage as my bride and I hailed from the Oxnard/Santa Barbara Calif. area, in the late 60's through the mid seventies. I was in perfect health and I was able to physically do what ever I attempted. In the mid ninety's is when the chronic pain that I experience truly started to get my attention.

Can any of us ever say that we have never experienced any form of suffering in our lives? My dictionary says to suffer is: to feel or endure pain (2) to bear loss, damage, or injury. Have you ever witnessed to someone or even known someone who walked away from his/her faith, how did you feel? Pain and sorrow for them, right?

Just for a moment can you imagine what Jesus had to endure? I'm reminded of Isaiah 53:3 "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him."

How would you function if you were despised and rejected by those around you? Would and could you stay focused on the job at hand? How many times have you experienced physical pain of some kind, and some I know are saddled with chronic pain all the time? When we suffer we should be mindful that Christ feels our pain, can you feel His or your neighbors pain? How many are experiencing the pain of the loss of life? Did you hear or read about that poor man who lost his whole family this past Monday, when a military jet crashed into his home in San Diego, Calif. Can you imagine his pain?

Why is it that we are always thinking about ourselves and our families more than others? Suffering may be unavoidable when it comes to bringing forth the Good News of Christ to the world. There is a price that goes with being identified with Jesus. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she gains all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God's family. One notable prerogative is being lead by the spirit (see Galatians 4:5-6). We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God's love.

As a person who has first hand knowledge of one form of suffering, it's my privilege to suffer for Christ. Always remember that you are not alone in the good times and when we suffer.

Until next time think and pray for another.

Jim