ODB: a mere happening?
December 10, 2009 READ: Ruth 2:1-12 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. —Proverbs 3:6 Huang, a nonbeliever, was a visiting scientist at the University of Minnesota in 1994. While there, he met some Christians and enjoyed their fellowship. So when they learned he would be returning to Beijing, they [...]
ODJ: joy of suffering
I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for His body, the church (v.24).
READ: Colossians 1:24-29
In The Call to Joy and Pain, Ajith Fernando writes: “Ministry in Sri Lanka can be quite frustrating. We work hard at planning an event and find that a curfew is announced just before the event is held. . . . Sometimes this frustration becomes so hard to bear that [the workers] leave the country, saying they cannot do the work they are called to do because of the prevailing situations. . . . They are unable to make themselves vulnerable to feelings of frustration and pain. So they leave the situation.”
Pain avoidance. That’s an instinctive reaction for all us. So is Paul being masochistic when he says, “ I am glad when I suffer”? (Colossians 1:24).
Definitely not. Paul is not advocating that we should seek pain and suffering. Rather, he recognizes that the way of the cross—following Jesus—includes hardships, and that “here on earth [we] will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33).
Paul rejoiced that he could participate in the sufferings of Christ and also that he could suffer for the sake of the church. Bible commentator Peter O’Brien points out that experiencing the power of Christ’s resurrection and sharing in His sufferings are aspects of knowing Jesus.
If we desire to experience greater intimacy with Christ, and we know that suffering will deepen our intimacy, then the effects of our hardships will lose their sting. And when we realize that Jesus is using our sufferings to build and purify His church, we’ll see beyond the temporary and gaze upon the final victory.
With these perspectives in place, we can “tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us” (Colossians 1:28). Let’s “work and struggle . . . depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within [us]” (v.29). —Poh Fang Chia
How could seeking to avoid pain deprive you from opportunities to know Christ in a deeper way? How can you keep your joy in the midst of hardship and pain?
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Loading ...Discerning God’s Plan
By Julian Abraham, 19, Singapore Does God have a plan for me? Do I know what His plans might be? These are questions that many of us think little about. There’s always good excuse for not thinking about such matters for our lives are crowded with so many activities. We’re loaded with work, studies, and [...]
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