Growth Hope

Everybody Hurts

“Life’s not fair.” This is a refrain with which we all familiar. It is likely that a parent or a teacher or a coach or somebody said these words to us at some point in our childhood. Depending on how old we are, we may have uttered them to somebody else. We have an innate desire for things to work out in a way that benefit us. Yet despite the fact that God is gracious and gives us more good things that we could ever deserve, in our moment of pain, we often neglect to recall His generosity and focus on the hurt that we are currently experiencing.

While there is some pain that we may never quite make sense of, Scripture tells us that there are at least two reasons that we suffer. Sometime we suffer because we are His and as God’s children, the forces of this world are diametrically opposed to us (John 15:18). Another reason that we suffer is because God is disciplining us. We’ve sinned and there are consequences for those rebellious actions (Hebrews 12:6). Sometimes, perhaps often times, the correction of our Father involves pain as He guides us back to a right relationship with Him.

However, I Peter 3:17 reminds us that while R.E.M was right and everybody does hurt sometimes, it is far better to suffer for the glory of God then as a result of His discipline. Jesus reminded us of this when, before healing the blind man, He stated that the reason for the man’s blindness was so that God could be glorified (John 9:1-3). Could you imagine the change of perspective that man had at the moment? Instead of seeing his blindness as a curse, it was an unique opportunity for God to use this man to draw others to Himself. In a way that few others could, this man could put God’s glory on display.

There is going to be pain in this life; we can be sure of that. However, may increasingly our pain not be as a result of God bringing us back to living a life that pleases Him, but may it used to bring others into a relationship with Him. May our aches and our cries be for the glory of the eternal King.

Everybody hurts, but not everyone suffers for Jesus’ sake. May we see our suffering for His sake as the privilege that it is.

Now it’s your turn…..how can we suffer well for Jesus?
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Hope

Reason to Rejoice

We find all sorts of reasons to celebrate. There are the common ones like birthdays, graduations, and holidays. We also celebrate first days of school, sports victories (even when we aren’t the ones playing), and science fair wins. In America, we even get festive about something called “Groundshog’s Day” – where a furry underground creature is supposed to predict the arrival of Spring! We are a celebratory people.

However, we only tend to celebrate when we think something has happened that’s worthy of celebration – when there’s an event that demands a response. Most days, people are complaining about their lives, not celebrating what’s happening in it. As much as we like festive occasions, we don’t carry that same spirit into our every day lives.

Christians, however, know that there is also a reason to celebrate. Even when there are bad things happening in our lives, we can rejoice that the Lord is on His throne. We can celebrate that God –  the perfect, holy, loving and just God that we serve – is the One who holds the Earth in His hands, and is organizing and arranging things according to His good purpose.  Our lives aren’t happening by chance, nor is there someone less worthy (like ourselves) in charge, but instead, the fact that He is reigning over all gives us cause to celebrate, even when there is not much else in our lives that seems worthy of joy.

Psalm 97:1 states, “The LORD reigns,let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” The Psalmist realizes that there is cause for celebration. If the waves and seas can find gladness in the fact that God is on His throne, than shouldn’t we? After all, we know that God is not only in control, but is also lovingly concerned with our lives. Shouldn’t we consider this a reason to rejoice?

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