Thursday, April 23, 2009

Suffering

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the
ood and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if
because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20
For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take
it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently,
this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that you should follow His steps:
22 “ Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return;
when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself
to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore
our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
having died to sins, might live for righteousness—
by whose stripes you were healed.

1 Peter 2:18-24

I had a "wow" moment with these words yesterday as they were read during our Bible study. We were talking about serving God where He has called us. Where He wants us, not where we have made a place for ourselves, or where others have expected us to serve, but to follow God's leading. Verse 21 jumped out at me.

But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently,
this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that you should follow His steps....

Wow. There is nothing else to be said. It does not matter what job or task I am called to, my calling will always be to suffer for doing good. There will always be someone somewhere willing to cause suffering when good is being accomplished. There will always be someone to shoot arrows and try to wound us. I need to expect that. I have an enemy who will do anything and everything to take me out, to destroy my spirit and my relationship with God. I must do my part to make sure he does not succeed.

That brings me to the question, what is my calling? Where does God want me to serve Him? I truly believe that my calling is in relationships. There are various ways I can serve God by strengthening my relationship with Him and others and other ways I can encourage others in their relationships with God and others. Is it any wonder, then, that the enemy has attacked my relationships with a vengeance? That he has tried to destroy me by destroying the relationships closest and dearest to me? It gives me a new perspective and increases my desire to serve my God and build my relationship with Him more everyday. To live my life abundantly in service to Him so that my days, and my sufferings, are not in vain.

What is your calling? What passions, what missions has He placed on your heart? Are you willing to follow Him, to answer that call?

No comments: