Romans 8:16-18

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

2 Timothy 2:3

Take your share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:29

because to you has been given, as regards Christ, not only the believing on him but the suffering for him also,

It’s easy to think that my experience of suffering is substantial, and at extended times of such, to think “it’s now about time to opt out of this, I don’t need to take it to this degree”.

Our perception of “the degree”, is subjective; until we apply ourselves to reading The Word, then if we hear & submit to Gods voice, we’re told in Heb 4:12 .”..the word of God is living and operative, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and penetrating to the division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”.

From this we know that to get an objective view of our situation, we need to read The Word, & pray for God’s wisdom to clarify the next step, whether that’s to wait, move on, or respond (holding the truth in love. Ephesians 4:15).

To benefit from Christ’s yoke. we need to have God’s perspective applied to our situations, He said “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:29

But don’t think that you’ll always be in a state of “rest” when you’ve taken up your cross & taken on His yoke. The battle with the flesh in yourself and others, will continue until after the body breathes it’s last. Exodus 17:16 “Jehovah will have war with Amalek* from generation to generation!” (* The Amalekites, descendants of Esau, were a numerous & warlike people who were first to fight the Israelites after they crossed the Red Sea, they’re representative of evil, which is opposed to God, both from our flesh and Satan.)

What we may have to suffer for Christ, is beyond where our thoughts wish to go. What our fellow brethren have born in their sufferings, is unfathomable: eg… The Martyrs, the Apostle Paul, Job, Joseph, and many others, including Ezekiel, who had to lie on his left side for 390 days, for the sins of Israel, then on his right side a further 40 days for the sins of Judah, 1 day for each year appointed for their judgement (try laying on one side in bed for a week!). I met a brother in Christ who told the following allegory:
A man went to the Lord with his cross and asked if he could have a lighter one to carry, the Lord took him to a large room with rows of crosses of varying sizes on the floor, He said to take his time and choose a more appropriate one from them. the man put his cross on the floor and spent quite a while picking up many and assessing them, then settled on one he was content with. He went back to the Lord and said this one is better. The Lord looked at him in love and said to him: That’s the one you came in with. We can have very little idea of how easy we have things compared to others; we need to remember that God is with each of us individually to help us grow through every adversity for His glory and our good.

When we think of ourselves, weighing and groaning at the degree of suffering, we only fall into deeper despair, but when we look to Christ, by;

– Reading The Word.

– Singing & listening to songs of praise to Him,

– Praising Him in prayer.

He pours in refreshing waters, and lifts our hearts above the dark clouds, to see the glorious light which is always shining above, lifting us out of the stormy sea to walk on the water!

Remember that He didn’t come to take us out of the world, but to give us victory over the sin in the world.

It’s through being exposed to suffering, that:

– We gain greater understanding of the depraved state of our flesh, which then brings us to understand more, the glory of the grace of God!

– Christ becomes greater in our affections.

– We see the weakness of our humanity, thereby gaining greater compassion for others, humility and a greater degree of appreciation of the mercy of God to us; which then leads to firmer stronger faith in God. …Romans 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.”

Our heavenly Father won’t allow us to be tempted above what we can bear:

1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has taken you but such as is according to man’s nature; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way to escape,”

… so that you’ll be able to work through it.

We can rest in the knowledge that He knows us better than we know ourselves, so He’ll teach us as no earthly father can, and He’ll deliver us from every adversity, when in His time, it is time…

The opportunity to learn from adversity, should be taken up during the progress of it, and as soon as possible from the start.

Recognising the adversity as an opportunity to learn, is no guarantee of an early end of it, but rather than battling against it and suffering greater hardship than is necessary, viewing the adversity through the eyes of the new man who operates with God’s resources, provides clear direction from that point on. If my response to the adversity, is based on a fleshly perspective, then as the scripture states in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh;” so the response to acting in the flesh may result in further/greater response from the flesh in another.

But if I respond in the spirit, then regardless of how the other responds, the strength of the Lord will mean a different perspective from my side, I’ll understand that it’s a spiritual battle, not a Church problem, a family matter, or an earthly series of events subject to “natural” rational factors.

To have the perspective of the new man each day, requires being as Christ speaks through the the prophet Jeremiah: “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

Rather than being beaten to pulp by the commencement, & subsequent development of the adversity, The new man, daily sows to the Spirit, and daily of the Spirit, reaps life everlasting. Galatians 6:8

So as you “have share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, that in the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exultation.” “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

1 Peter 4:13  & 2 Cor 4:17-18

Your brother in Christ

Andrew.
June 2018,Dec2019