AWAKEN THE SUFFERING: EMBRACE vs RESENT
A Vision of Phil 1:29, 2 Cor 4:7-8 & 2 Cor 1:8-9
“For to you, it has been grace-gifted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake!”
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels in order that the surpassing greatness of the power (that comes out of our lives) may be of God and not from ourselves; therefore, we are afflicted in every way… perplexed…persecuted… struck down…always carrying about the dying of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
We will encounter many “despairing” Christians who are angry and resent God for the suffering and failure He has allowed, or even orchestrated, that has brought such pain into their lives.
O, Lord, to be used of You to awaken them and open the eyes of their heart to see that affliction comes into our lives, burdens us excessively sometimes, even to point of going beyond our strength to bear, to the radical place of not even wanting to live anymore, in order that we should not trust in themselves, but in You, who will raise us up from our psychological death and deliver us from the pain and suffering of our circumstances.
You did just that in the Apostle Paul’s life on his third missionary journey when he was harboring a little self-trust (doesn’t take much) and You wanted him totally dependent, 100% trusting in You. Therefore, You will certainly actively orchestrate and engineer affliction in our lives to accomplish the same wonderful outcome; shifting internally from trusting in ourselves (pride) to trusting totally in the One who will raise us from psychological death and produce His good, acceptable and perfect will for our lives, with no help from us (humility).
Use us, Lord, to help Christians come to see that they are Your “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which You prepared beforehand so that they would walk in them” as they watch the unfolding of their journey with an attitude of fear and trembling; realizing they are not in control, but on the contrary, it’s You, supernaturally willing and working for Your good pleasure in and through them to accomplish Your will on earth in their individual lives just as You designed it in heaven. (Eph 2:10, Phil 2:13, Matt 6:10).