2 CORINTHIANS 11:23-28 – Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”
THEME OF THE DAY: SUFFERING, THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. How do we respond to suffering? It doesn’t matter the realm – physical, spiritual, or emotional. The reason the realm doesn’t matter is because every human being suffers in all three, even Christians, but especially Christians. Does that last statement, “but especially Christians” seem a little odd? It shouldn’t if we understand God and the Christian life. And that brings us back to the opening question in today’s nugget –“How do we respond to suffering?” The importance of the question cannot be overstated for our answer tells us the depth of our knowledge of God and of the Christian life. If our response to suffering is an attitude or word of complaining, we know so little of our God and even less of the Christian life.
In the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm, the author knows suffering is good, not worthy of complaining, and is a choice tool in the Hands of the Lord molding and conforming His children into His image – It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me (Psalm 119:71, 75). Think about it for a moment. How irrational to rebel by complaining against God’s love that uses suffering for our greatest good? Complaining marks the unsaved world, not the body of Christ who follow a Suffering Savior. But this isn’t easy. We are creatures who crave comfort so we need help to ensure we don’t dishonor the Lord by complaining in our suffering. Allow me to share that help as it comes from today’s scripture.
When tempted to complain as suffering comes upon us, run to the Apostle Paul’s suffering he endured for being a servant of the Lord and Christian walking with the Lord as detailed in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Don’t pray. Don’t study. Just observe and then ask this question – “Have I suffered even a fraction what the Lord put Paul through?” The answer will be “no” and then, as we are humbled over this reality, refuse to let ourselves offer one sliver of complaining over any suffering. Resolve to say, “Enough. After what Jesus suffered for me, and Christians throughout church history, it is the highest display of spiritual immaturity to complain.” Basically, take control of ourselves and silence the sin of complaining by looking away from ourselves and on to Him and others who rejoiced in suffering as a Christian.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for complaining and rebelling against any suffering in my life.”
QUOTE: ““To complain when called to suffer reveals we know so little of God and of the Christian life.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim