Day 50
Scripture focus: Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Hebrews 10:32 NLT
In today's scripture focus, we are reminded that some suffering - amazingly enough - is the result of remaining faithful. Please don't rush over this point and miss its implications. Some suffering is the result of remaining faithful. Suffering happens sometimes as the direct result of stepping as God speaks. Faithful following can lead us down paths of pain. (How do we apply this reality to our daily life experience? Does this change our perspective on our personal struggles?)
The writer of Hebrews is not talking about a slight inconvenience. Sometimes I must roll out of bed before the chickens if I'm going to have an appropriate amount of quality time with God before a busy day begins. This feels like suffering - it is not. Pete groans on Tuesday and Thursday mornings when he heads out to his very tough exercise class with his NorthStar Community buddies - and he sounds like he is suffering - he is not (that happens after class!). Sometimes on Saturdays we want to play but choose to do chores. This feels uncomfortable but it is NOT suffering.
When the writer of Hebrews describes suffering, he describes it as terrible; he's not talking about the effort that discipline requires. The Greek word for terrible in this passage is "mega," meaning big. It's huge. It's gigantic suffering. And it is the result of remaining faithful. Job suffered horrific loss because he was a righteous man - not in spite of it! Clearly we have a lot to learn when it comes to understanding times of loss. If we miss this point, our spiritual muscles may atrophy. We might misjudge ourselves and others - lose perspective and lack discernment while missing an opportunity to grow in wisdom. We'll believe lies about what it means to step as God speaks, and perhaps miss the blessings that come when we realize we have indeed been faithful.
Remember - suffering is not always a sign of spiritual anemia or wanton disregard for the ways of the Lord. Mega, big, huge, terrible suffering sometimes finds us as a result of our faithfulness. Frankly, I find this principle more difficult to accept than the more simplistic, shallow perspective of Job's misinformed counselors (who believed it was always an indication that the sufferer was out of God's divine favor).
It's my prayer that we will ponder this long and hard. Have you blamed yourself (God or others) for seasons of suffering because you somehow saw the painful experience as an indicator of some spiritual miscue? Can we commit to working our spiritual muscles past the baby believer stage of development when everything is seen in clear demarcations of black and white/good and evil? Can we accept it if God's prevailing purposes are somehow carried out in mysterious and incomprehensible ways? Would we be willing to acknowledge that life isn't always about us - and that sometimes we suffer so that someone else might be saved?
Recommended reading: Leviticus 7 and 8 in the morning; Mark 3 and 4 in the evening
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