Sharing in each others suffering(part 3)

Dear Friends,



Warm greetings, to everyone reading this e-mail.In my previous reflection, ‘pt 2’ of Sharing in each others suffering The contrast between trusting God and trying to get Him to do things is that, TRUST is Honest and real whereas many of the above are often insincere. What am I suggesting? I am suggesting that WE MAKE IT CLEAR TO GOD THAT AS MUCH AS WE WANT AND NEED HIM TO ANSWER OUR PRAYER, EVEN IF IT DOES NOT HAPPEN BEFORE A PARTICULAR DEADLINE WE ARE WILLING TO TRUST HIM.



When we are in a trusting relationship with God,

We do not BEAR GRUDGES AGAINST GOD BECAUSE HE DID NOT COME THROUGH WITH AN ANSWER!
If we are not bearing grudges against God, we do not let the issue of unanswered prayer determine our attitude towards God.


In other words there is more to our relationship with God than the, gifts or presents He gives us. God is not our voluntary consultant. He is not our philanthropist. He is our creator and as creator He deserves to be worshipped. Dear friends, I am learning the very hard way that our relationship with GOD MUST BE BASED ON REALITY. R-E-A-L-I-T-Y exists beyond our EMOTIONS or ‘the way we feel’. Which means although, we may sometimes feel DISAPPOINTMENT God for the manner in which He conducts our affairs we must remain consistent and committed in our relationship with Him.

Everyone who understands the frustrations of unanswered prayer can at one stage or the other appreciate that responding to God is not just hard but it is practically IMPOSSIBLE FOR HUMAN BEINGS TO DO! Except of course if we do so not in our strength but by becoming ‘empowered and energized’ by the living Grace of God imparted in us through His Holy Spirit.



This journey begins through a decision to surrender the direction of our lives to Jesus Christ. Everyone must be able to identify the beginning of such a journey in their individual life. It is compared to a Spiritual rebirth experience. In John chapter 3 Jesus Christ explained this process to a theologian by the name Nicodemus. He said to Nicodemus: Unless a person is reborn he can never enter into God’s eternal kingdom’. Yes there is suffering when mortal beings enter into the ‘rebirth ‘experience Jesus Christ mentions. However, the is a significant difference between how suffering is perceived in the natural experience of everyday living and the kingdom of Heaven.



Beloved Friend, the main difference is this:



In the natural affairs of human beings the suffering experienced is futile and without meaning. It can be described as purposeless suffering. However, within the life of a person who has become reborn or born again , the suffering he or she experiences is much like the various phases of a child’s suffering called ‘growing pains’. Such growing pains maybe suffering, but they can be more appropriately described as purposeful suffering. Because they result in numerous lifetime benefits, they are not viewed as suffering. Such suffering pales in comparison to the rewards and benefits to be reaped.
Whereas the discomfort they cause is short-term they bring about long-term and even lifelong rewards.
God intervenes readily to end meaningless or purposeless suffering but He waits for the natural process to end purposeful suffering.
Jesus Healed sicknesses and fed the hungry by responding immediately to ease the suffering of affliction(Matthew 4:23,24;Lk 4:39,40;Acts 10:38, Acts 1:6,7,8; Daniel 2:40-45). However when the Jews wanted Him to end their frustration with the Roman Government by instantly ending that political system He preferred to wait for that kingdom to last till the end of its period as prophesied in scriptures.


Dear friends, just like some discomfort is inevitable in order for life transition from one phase to the next, we may often encounter the pain barrier if we are to leave the old and give birth to the new.

In most cases the only way to avoid a certain amount of suffering is to remain in our comfort zone. When we do this we rust or decay in comfort and although this may be painless, it has lifelong consequences. What are these growing pains? Jesus Christ identifies these as ‘dying to self’ or to the old nature. He uses the illustration of a grain of wheat which is planted and buried underneath the soil. In order for new life to shoot out, it needs to be free of the old life that has just been planted. In other words, the new life is ‘hidden’ or disguised within the old life. The Old Nature is currently holding it captive but not for long. Ultimately, God has designed the new life to be given birth to by the Old when the New Life reaches full term like a new month old pregnancy.



Dear friends, I am going to share a few scripture verses with you. Please follow these up in order to appreciate this process which is being worked out in your life:

1. Romans 6:18 ‘For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us(italics mine…the word revealed suggests that this glory is now hidden or disguised but it will soon be on exhibition).v19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God v20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subject the same in hope(italics mine…in other words there is a purpose in this suffering)v21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God(italics is mine…corruption is the best definition for anything that is temporal and our circumstances and present hardships are temporal so we will outgrow them).v22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now(italics is mine… creation refers to our surroundings and our circumstances are included in all the bad news and tragedy that happens) TO BE CONTD.