We can convince ourselves that Christ endured the suffering so that we don’t have to, but He did not come to save us from the cross. In fact, He said that unless we are willing to take up our cross and follow Him, we are unworthy of Him (Matt.10:38).
Posts Tagged ‘suffering’
Thought for the Day – Save Us from the Cross?
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged cross, follow Him, suffering, take up our cross, unworthy of Him on March 27, 2024| 2 Comments »
Thought for the Day – Suffering
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Christ, suffering on May 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
To share in Christ’s suffering, we must first walk in His ways. I’ve we’re just doing what’s right in our own eyes the resultant suffering is simply a consequence.
Why Are You Letting Them Do This to Me Daddy?
Posted in Heart of "The Father", Parenting / Family, Personal, tagged abandonned by God, abandonned in my hour of need, pain, suffering on March 3, 2015| 1 Comment »
During a time of prayer, I was reminded of a particularly painful moment in my life involving our youngest daughter Rebekah. As I remember, she was somewhere between her first and second birthday, when our household got hit with a particularly bad bout of the stomach flu. I’m pretty sure that all of us took a turn with it, and in the midst of that time, Bekah (who weighed less than 20 lbs.) began to turn blue. Needless to say, we were more than a little concerned, as I rushed her to the emergency room. Immediately, they determined that she was severely dehydrated, and that they needed to start an IV. They wanted me to wait outside while they executed that plan, but I calmly (& firmly) assured them that I was quite unwilling to leave her side. As they went about the task of trying to locate one of her tiny veins, Bekah fought like the warrior God made her to be, which made the already daunting task nearly impossible. It literally took four adults to hold her down, and it still required eight tries before the nurse was able to connect with a vein. As Bekah screamed out in pain, her beautiful gray eyes were fixed on me, and as near as I could tell, the question in her tiny heart was, “Why are you letting them do this to me daddy?” In her short life, no one had ever really hurt her, and in as much as a baby can, she trusted that she was safe with me. Now, I not only stood by while they pierced her over and over again, I was actually one of the people holding her down while they did it. It was an excruciating moment, and one that I’d long since pushed out of my mind. Bekah is now in High School, and she has grown into a strong and beautiful young woman. So why go back and revisit this awful memory?
As I meditated on this scene, I found myself wanting to answer her inferred question. “I let this happen because it was the only way you were going to get better,” I thought. And while I know that is the truth, I also realized how little difference that would have made in the midst of her pain. In her tiny heart it must have seemed that I was allowing them to torment her, and maybe even that I was helping them. My heart ached at the remembrance of the hurt and confusion in her face; and as I pondered what the Lord was trying to show me, I realized that He was helping me to understand what it can be like for Him, and with His children, as we experience painful and/or difficult situations. Like baby Bekah, we don’t necessarily see or understand the bigger picture; we simply know that we don’t feel good, that our sense of security is quickly evaporating, and that we are in genuine pain. Such instances can breed doubts that linger long after the moment has past. We may feel abandoned in our hour of need, or betrayed by the one who was supposed to protect us, or maybe we conclude that there is something so wrong with us that we are beyond help (or at least unworthy of it). These kinds of thoughts tear at the fiber of our faith, and distort the nature of who God is, and who we are to Him.
The Bible says that God works all things to the good of those who love Him, and who are called to His purpose. I believe that we often twist those words to imply that we should never suffer, but clearly that’s not what it means. In fact, the scripture tells us that “Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered.” If the Son of God, a man of perfect faith, had to learn that way, how do we think that we can avoid it. God views us, and our lives, through the lens of eternity; so just as it was with Bekah, a relatively brief period of suffering can produce a harvest of life and wellness. In His humanness, Jesus spoke directly to this issue in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He essentially said, “Father, if there is some other way to achieve Your eternal purposes for my life, I’d rather not endure what’s about to happen. But if this is the only way to orchestrate the redemption of mankind, then so be it.” The scripture tells us that Jesus “endured the cross, despising it’s shame.” We too will have to endure some things, and we may also despise the process, but instead of being discouraged, and feeling abandoned, we need to remember that we have a Father who is able to work all things to our eternal good. And just as I was unwilling to leave Bekah’s bedside, we also need to remember that He is a God who never leaves us nor forsakes us.
Bjcorbin's Blog 
The Cost of Discipleship
Posted in Commentaries, tagged appetite, blank check, cost, death, diet or exercise, discipleship, endurance, eternal security, faith alone, master, obesity, resurrection, sacrifice, servant, suffering, weight loss on August 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Western culture’s infatuation with convenience has led to a steady progression of “advancements” meant to make life easier. But like any significant shift, there have been some unintended consequences. Though the practical demands of our day-to-day life have receded, so too has our capacity for delivering consistently high levels of energy for any given task. Within this new reality, there is no need to sweat anywhere other than the gym. Despite this erosion of endurance, our voracious appetites seem to have remained largely intact.
As a result, the struggle with obesity has become rampant throughout our society, which has triggered a corresponding obsession with weight loss. Things like gym memberships, progress picks and Ozempic shots have become prominent features of our cultural landscape. And one of the most popular components of this phenomenon is anything that promises that we can lose weight without changing our diet or exercise pattern.
Inherently, we recognize that if we hope to lose weight, we ought to be disciplined in what we take into our bodies, and/or in how we take care of ourselves. But the appeal of “weight loss without dieting or exercising” is that we can get the results we want, without having to sacrifice the things we crave, even when they are counterproductive to that goal (i.e., reap the benefits without paying the cost).
Unfortunately, this kind of thinking is like yeast that spreads through the whole loaf and works its way into our spiritual life as well. Western Christianity has largely grabbed a hold of the scriptures that celebrate the finished work of Christ, while ignoring those that speak of the cost of following Him. Popular doctrines create the illusion that Jesus’ love created the proverbial blank check (i.e. He died once for all, and we are justified by faith alone) which covers however we chose to live our lives today, while ensuring our place in the next life as well. Like a spiritual Ozempic shot, it promises eternal security, without sacrifice (i.e., dying to yourself) or suffering.
More often than not, faith is presented as both the vaccination and antidote to all suffering (e.g., if we just believe that God loves us and that He is all-powerful, we will somehow become immune to struggles of this life). Yet, Jesus (a man of perfect faith) learned obedience from the things He suffered (Heb.5:8), and He endured the cross, despising its shame (Heb.12:2). He warned His followers that no servant was greater than their master, and that they would be hated for His sake (John 15:18-21). Further, He let them know that to those who have been given much, much more will be required (Luke 12:48).
Throughout the scripture, we see the lives of devoted followers testify to the cost of discipleship. Paul declared that we ought to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom.12:1), saying that in order to become an heir we must be willing to share in Christ’s sufferings (Rom.8:17). Peter agreed, asserting that to partake of this burden was cause for rejoicing (1Peter 4:12-13). David avowed that he would not offer to God that which cost him nothing (2 Sam.24:24), and James observed that the price of cultivating a friendship with the world (i.e., adopting its ways, and adhering to its value system) was to become an enemy of God (James 4:4).
Jesus spoke very plainly about all of this, teaching that whoever wants to be my disciple must be willing to deny themselves and take up their cross daily (Luke 9:23-25). He clarified that the key to experiencing the life He’s ordained for us is found in laying our lives down for Him and His purposes (Matt.16:25). This was the challenge He made to the “rich young ruler,” asking him to forfeit those things which might identify him as anything other than a child of the one true God (Luke 18:18-30).
He taught that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it has no potential to produce fruit (John 12:24), and He left no room for interpretation when He said that those who are unwilling to take up a cross and follow Him are not worthy of Him (Matt.10:38). Jesus surrendered His will to accomplish the will of the Father (Luke 22:42), but if we refuse to participate in this of death of self-rule, how then can we lay claim to the resurrection that was gained by it? Can there be a resurrection if there hasn’t been a death?
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