We Get to Suffer

Phil 1:29-30
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,  since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

As we were going over this passage in Bible study last night this verse simply jumped out at me.
  
Paul wrote this to the church at Philippi. Unlike some of the diatribes in Corinthians where he is addressing a litany of misdeeds by many in the local church, the letter to the Philippians is a letter of thanksgiving for a church the “got it” and had steadfastly supported him through all his trials. The predominant theme of the letter is “joy”.

And yet in the midst of it he writes, in a joyous kind of way, how thankful he is that they have been counted worthy of being “granted” to suffer for Christ’s sake.

In my mind this seemed to contradict the words of Jesus when He said, “I came that you might have life and have it to the full”. In other versions this is translated as “abundant life”.

Re-reading Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John it all of a sudden dawned on me that I had read into Jesus’ words what I wanted them to mean.

Some of the times when I have felt closest to God and felt His presence most vividly have been through times of trial, pain and suffering. That is not to say that I don’t have a daily walk with Him and that I have had some beautifully, wonderful intimate times with Him in times of reflection in those times. However, as most humans, I never need Him more desperately than when I am being attacked on every side and I can see no way out except through Him.

Jesus, God incarnate, also said this,
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

“Take heart!”  Jesus is saying to us, “I want you to find joy in your suffering because whatever you endure, know that I have endured it also and have overcome it.”

“Take heart!”  “Whatever you have to go through you won’t have to go through it alone. You will have my Holy Spirit to walk with you every step of the way.”

So it is, that the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians, those faithful and supportive Christians, that they ought to rejoice in the fact that they “get” to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.

I tend to go into a dark place some times when things aren’t going right and when the whole world seems to be conspiring against me. Rejoicing in my suffering does not come naturally to me. 

However, at this stage in my walk with the Lord, sooner or later something happens to wake me from my navel gazing stupor and points my eyes back to Christ. It is in those moments where the schemes of the enemy are unmasked and I get a glimpse of what God is trying to do. My circumstances don’t necessarily change. In fact, sometimes they get worse. But now my eyes are fixed upon Jesus and my joy returns as I feel His presence in the midst of my trial.

I “get” to suffer.

That is not something that is a part of many altar calls, but it should be part of the mindset of any growing and maturing believer. He entrusts me enough to allow me to go through this test. He loves me enough to grow me through this trial.


We “get” to suffer. Think about it.

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