27 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? "Father save me from this hour"? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.
Ordinarily, I spend a good 24-48 hours reflecting on the reading and preparing my blog post. This week, I completely forgot I was scheduled for today! I spent my night playing music and reading a new book I ordered, oblivious to my obligation this morning. Thank goodness those activities connected to today's reading!
The book I'm currently reading is called The Fellowship of the Suffering (by Dave Ripper and Paul Borthwick). In it, they mention that to us, there is no worse suffering than MY OWN suffering. That hit home for me. I'm so quick to notice how terrible what I'm going through is when in reality there are people going through far worse. Dave and Paul give the definition of suffering as: not having what you want, or having what you don't want.
Suffering is not only unavoidable, but it is a necessary part of life, especially if we are to grow and glorify God. Paul says in Colossians 1:28-29 that to be mature in Christ, we struggle as He works powerfully in us. If we sincerely want to gain intimacy with Christ then we must know sufferings. Although Jesus' suffering is the ultimate way in which God was glorified, Jesus is not the only one who's suffering can bring glory to God. How could we transform the world if we thought about how our struggles can bring glory to God?
The song I focused on last night was "Jesus, what a savior" by housefires. There is a line in the song that reads "lifter of the lowly, God you meet me where I am". No matter what we are going through, or how bad the pain, God can and will meet us there.
There is so much more to be said on this topic. If you are going through a struggle and suffering at this point in your life, I suggest reading "The fellowship of the Suffering" to get a well-rounded perspective. I pray for you.
Lord, you know each and every one of our sufferings. Help us to come to you in prayer during these times. Let us know when to surrender, when to lament, when to contemplate, and when to intercede for others. Help us to pray even when we don't want to, even when we feel distant from you, even when we question if you are there. Thank you for sending your only Son who suffered death on a cross that we might have eternal life. Let us live lives that glorify you amidst our sufferings.
Amen
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