| “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him…” |
| —Philippians 1:29 |
As the warmth of summer begins to surround us more and more, I particularly identify with the photograph for this blog post. It shows some people struggling against snow. I absolutely abhor snow! And yet, I live in the suburbs of a city that consistently wins the Annual Golden Snow Globe Award for the most snowfall in cities of 100,000 population and greater. I obviously didn’t choose to live here because of the snow—did I mention that I hate snow?
Snow is a good representation, at least for me, of suffering. For 25 years, I have been afflicted with profound progressive osteo-arthritis of the knees, hips, and back. I have also suffered the loss of my right leg below the knee due to a chronic infection of my right foot that I fought to save for 19 years. Inside my home, I must walk with a walker. When I go outside my home, I must ride in a powered wheel chair.
Anytime the sidewalk or parking lot is the least bit slippery, I am in big trouble. If I slip and fall, I am unable to get back up on my own. I also have the complication, as a long-term diabetic, that diabetic neuropathy has robbed me of feeling in my remaining left foot. So, I can’t tell when I am slipping until it’s too late to stop my way to the ground. So, I really, really, really hate snow.
The truth is, no matter where we live, no matter what any of our other circumstances may be in life, we will all have to endure some level of suffering. It’s just a part of life. Trouble eventually finds everyone. I wonder, though, if we realize that, as Christians, every bit of suffering we may have to endure is also a very special part of our walk of faith? That’s right! Suffering is a normal part of our walk of faith. Because we belong to God through His Son, Jesus, we will be called upon to suffer for Him. We might as well understand that and even come to celebrate with great joy the opportunity we have to suffer for the one who suffered for us. The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Philippians 1:29:
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him…
So, dear ones, as we step out into the world this day and suffering finds us, let’s determine to receive our suffering as a precious gift from God and allow our suffering to perfect in us the same kind of devotion that Christ had for us when He died on the cross in our behalf. That may not be an easy decision for us to make. But, it’s a very good one—and one we can struggle to enflesh each day.
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2017
