By Allen White
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12
“We
should be worried if we’re not suffering,” according to Francis Chan, the
author of Crazy Love and The Forgotten God. If we fit into our culture so well
that there is no friction between the way we live and the way the world lives,
this is cause for concern. Have we been squeezed into the world’s mold? (Romans
12:2)
In
my single days, I watched a lot of television…a lot. I didn’t realize how much
television influenced me until after I got married and stopped watching as much
television. Suddenly, television didn’t have the same appeal. After time
passed, I went back and watched a few shows that I hadn’t seen for years. I was
surprised by the language they used and the things they poked fun at. I was
disturbed by what these programs portrayed. But, I was even more disturbed by
the fact that I used to watch these programs and think nothing of it. I was the
frog in the kettle. I was sliding down the slippery slope. Unaware.
Now
this is not an effort to become some sort of goodie two shoes, holier-than-thou
jerk. We don’t need any more of those. The point is that we were made for
another place far from this world (Philippians 3:18-20). If we work hard to fit
in with the world, then we have lost our reason for being.
The
prophets of old followed God’s calling for their lives, and they suffered for
it. Most of us would say, “Great. I thought that living in obedience to God
would make our lives easier.” Here’s the news: following Christ is a harder
path, but it’s a better path. It’s the path of salvation. At times, it’s not
comfortable. At times, we suffer because of it. But, in the end, we become more
like Christ.
Peter
told us, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going
through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very
glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that
you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all
the world” (1 Peter 4:12-13). This is the part that we’d rather skip. These are
the pages of our Bibles that we would prefer to have left stuck together. But,
it’s also a bit of a relief, because some of us are going through some stuff,
and it’s good to know that God hasn’t forgotten us and that our pain has a
purpose.
No
one’s life is easy. My life isn’t easy. Neither is yours. Our purpose on earth
is not to have an easy and comfortable life. But, finding and fulfilling our
life’s purpose is more satisfying than comfort or ease.
As
I was walking over the Liberty Bridge this morning on my way to write, I
spotted a plant growing in a difficult circumstance over the Reedy River
Falls. It’s a non-native plant. A gardener didn’t plant it here. It just began
to fulfill its purpose: to grow roots for nourishment and to reach out to the sun.
There would be much easier places to grow, but this was the spot where this
plant grew. It didn’t really have a choice.
We
are not called to live someone else’s life. We are not given a life that is
problem-free. We are blessed.
How
is your life blessed despite your circumstances? How has God given you joy and
peace in the middle of trouble? Thank God for His blessings in your life.
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