MOST REWARDING SUFFERING YOU WILL EVER KNOW!
We have discussed how pain is necessary for gain. Do you know that suffering is necessary to fully experience God’s glorious plan of salvation? It is probably not the suffering you’re thinking of – it is the suffering of surrendering the control of your life to God. When your life is no longer about you because of surrender, then your life will become all about God! When the purpose of God is of greater importance to you than anything in this life, you will have succeeded in the suffering that is necessary to see God’s power and amazing life flowing through you. Sin will no longer have a hold on you, and you will live the rest of this earthly life for the will of God and by the power of God.
1Pe 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires but rather for the will of God.
A person’s greatest struggle in this life is that of self, living by one’s own righteousness. One of the most significant places of sacrifice that you will ever experience will be in the area of self and self-righteousness. Those who think that their righteousness or lack thereof determines God’s love for them will go through a death process before they can experience the genuine life of God. Look at what Apostle Paul said regarding this.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 KJV
In other words, Paul was saying, Since God gave his life for me, my life is over; I have given my life entirely to him. For Apostle Paul, the life of trying to do things good enough to deserve God was over, and he had now stepped into the glorious freedom of living in the righteousness that God provided through Jesus Christ.
Letting go of our own righteousness is the beginning of living in the good news of Christ! It’s time for a real sacrifice that is pleasing unto God – your life and self-righteousness! May your life be a sweet sacrifice to God. May you be done with the life of self and fully given over to the life of Christ! There is no life more fulfilling than the life of surrendering to God and his love!
In all of the world, there is nothing like living in God’s grace! The grace of God empowers us to live in the life of heaven, right here on earth. Jesus was very pointed about this when he told us to pray by saying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven.” Mat 6:10 Jesus would never have told us to pray like that if it wasn’t possible to live with heaven’s will being accomplished right here on earth. If you study what heaven is like, you will know what his will should be like on earth. There is no sin in heaven – no depression – no sickness or disease – no bitterness or anger – why? Because God’s will is being done! God longs for us to step into the revelation of what he has provided for us through Jesus Christ! Jesus said, “I came that you would have life and that more abundantly.” John 10:10 The life Jesus came to give us is profound and truly extraordinary!
So what is holding us back? It is sin – the sin of self. The worst sin in the Garden of Eden is still the most dangerous sin of all – living according to one’s own righteousness! Adam and Eve were tricked into becoming intimate with the law and the life of self, but Jesus came to free us and give us the life of heaven based upon love!
So why suffering? Because in our carnal nature, we want to be in control of ourselves and be righteous on our own. Therefore, there is suffering and death that must take place in a person’s life who will experience the glory of God. God is calling us as the body of Christ to let go of everything about us and accept the life that is all about him!
Oh, my dear friend, one thing I’m sure of is that the suffering of letting go of self will be the…
MOST REWARDING SUFFERING YOU WILL EVER KNOW!