You're trying to do what's right, and it doesn't seem to be working. Maybe God has trusted you with the assignment to show His joy in the midst of physical suffering, because that's when everybody's watching you to see if what you've got is real. Maybe you're paying a price for your stand for Christ, and it's tempting to compromise, to back off, or to give in to despair, or just to give up.
Romans 8:17-18, we know was written by Paul, and this is a man who had a lot of bruises! Not from football or boxing, but the bruises he suffered in his life was from taking his stand for Christ. Listen to Paul’s list of bruises, “I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches...” (2 Corinthians 11:25-28 MSG).
Now that’s what you call bruises! But does that hinder Paul or dampen his perspective? Absolutely not! Here's what he says, “If we are His children, we are also God’s heirs. If we share in Christ’s suffering in order to share His glory, we are heirs together with Him. I consider our present sufferings insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:17-18 GWT). I like that word “insignificant”, it’s defined as “having little or no importance or value.” In other words, for Paul, when you compare the pain with the pleasure; when you compare the sacrifices with the rewards, there's no comparison. In fact there is little or no importance or value at all. The Pain is Worth it! Now that’s one way to look at pain with the right perspective!
Maybe you're in practice right now and you don't feel very victorious. But note this: God will always remember your faithfulness, and He will reward it a hundred times over! Now, Paul said, 'We are going to have an ultimate victory.' Which means one day all of our pain will be over. In fact, you see, what Paul was talking about here is a reward that DOES LAST. Paul said any hurt we have here is going to be like minutes compared to the forever celebration of victory; even the victory in this life-a sense of having overcome, of having gone through this with Jesus, of knowing Him better than I've ever known Him before. Having tasted His power as I never would have tasted but for the hard times.
This enabled Paul to have a different perspective on his hurts. He said in this same chapter, 'We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.' The victory will be so glorious that I am willing to take my hits in practice! Romans 8:31-39, “So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything else He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (MSG).
In other words, yes, life is tough; in fact it’s a lot like football practice! You get hit from multiple people at the same time from all directions! You’re hurting, in pain, tired, sore, bruised and battered and ready to throw in the towel, quit and hit the showers! I get it, believe me! But with what all the Scriptures say about our God and our ultimate and total victory, do you really think it is wise to give up now? Absolutely not! “…SO WE’RE NOT GIVING UP. HOW COULD WE!...” Paul, I Agree! How Could We Dare Give Up Now?!
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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