WHY NOT YOU

 

                       

In a two-frame cartoon strip, the first frame shows a little man standing in a torrential downpour, eyes lifted toward heaven, wailing, “Why me?” In the second frame, the voice of God calls down from the dark sky, “Why not?” When tragedy strikes, the knee-jerk reaction seems to be, “Why me?” Instead, when Christians learn of the suffering of others, they should always to ask, “Why not me?”

Much Christian teachings today focus solely on the blessings associated with salvation. Christianity is brightly packaged, sugar-coated and enticingly offers great benefits “beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation” (Heb 6:9). Little attention is paid to the suffering which out of necessity must accompany salvation. Nobody wants to suffer but Jesus the Son of God suffered and promised we shall follow in his footsteps.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus said to his three closest disciples “my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”. Going a little farther from them he prayed “my father if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will” (Matt 26:39-40). This was the only way to redeem mankind so the cup was not taken from him. Instead God sent angels to strengthen him (Luke 22:43).

Paul, the great apostle suffered greatly, Jesus informed him from the beginning that he was called to a life of suffering. Speaking of Paul's "race" of faith, the Lord said to Ananias, “This man is my chosen instrument …I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15-16). Paul wrote that one time in Asia “we were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired of life itself” (2Cor 1:8).

Yet he counted his suffering a grace gift because it changed his life and shaped his eternal perspective.  Suffering on Christ’s behalf is intended as part of that great ministry for the world in which He is engaged. We must endure many hardships to get into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). When the saints are gathered home, each one without exception will have overcoming stories to tell. That is one of the reasons God gave us the book of 2 Corinthians. 

The book is a memoir on living with pressure from a Christian’s point of view. Throughout this book are wonderful insights on dealing with a stressful life. Chapter 4 is the richest chapter, Paul starts with these words “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart (2 Cor. 4:1). A ministry God intended would never cause us to lose heart. It does not depress us; it motivates us.

Paul wrote “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:7-10). Note the images of suffering in this passage, oppressed in every way but not crushed by our troubles.  At our wits end but never at our hopes end, down but not out. Paul knew the surpassing greatness of the power of Jesus because he had witnessed it many times in his own life.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For, our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).  The inner beauty that matters to God (1Sam 13:14,) and is so precious to him (1 Peter 3:3-4).

In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Paul describes some of his light affliction with these terms: prisons, severe beatings, pelted with stones, beaten with rods, shipwrecked in sea,  robbed, sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness.  If Paul could say this affliction was light, then what is yours? Our affliction is light compared to what others suffer and compared to what they accomplish.  

Our affliction is not only light but also momentary. The longest life by this world’s standard is nothing on the scale of eternity. Even if one were to live for a hundred years and suffer every day, by the measure of eternity it is but for a moment. Peter says that our suffering is only for "a little while" (1 Peter 5:9-10).  Troubles come and go; whatever trouble you are facing now will pass too.

God accomplishes in us through our affliction a glory far heavier than any affliction we have suffered here.  When we look at the things which are seen, all we see is our affliction, and then it does not seem very light! In the world’s eyes, Paul’s life was an incredible failure. At the height of a great career, he left it all for a life of hardship with eventual martyrdom. Paul recognized that the world only sees the outward, not the unseen eternal things.

The sustaining power of God manifested in suffering is irrefutable evidence to the faithfulness of God in the hour of need. Christians must display hope and maintain a good conscience in suffering. Nothing will convince onlookers of the reality and power of true religion as suffering will do, when it is borne with Christian resignation and fortitude.

 The exhibition of the power of God’s grace in the sufferer testifies to the reality of faith to those that are watching.Remember the saying “ a picture is worth a thousand words” the portrait you draw of Jesus with your humble , tranquil presence in the face of grievous wrong is worth many words on the subject. Some may see the life of Jesus revealed in you and long to enter into that life.

Seeking to understand how God may be using a tragedy in our lives is a natural practice. But times will come in which we are called to trust God when we cannot understand the reason for our suffering. We must rely on His character rather than thinking that we have figured out the specifics of His plans. We know His ultimate purposes are good, even if His immediate goodness is sometimes hidden to us in the darkness of His plans.

There is a school of pain where God trains his children. This school has limited time. Let us not shrink from a hard lesson. No pain goes to waste because all of it has a purpose to accomplish in Gods great plan. The good news is your struggles will be over when you are in heaven. The bad news is that you will struggle until you get there. Jesus will provide the power to persevere through problems. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your strength.

The topic and intensity might be different, but every believer is struggling in some way. We shudder when we think of what some of God's children are enduring because of their faithfulness to the Savior. Many have chosen the path of intense suffering rather than following the line of least resistance. They would rather suffer for Christ in this life than suffer without Him in the life to come.

The frigid waters around Greenland contain countless icebergs, some little and some gigantic. Sometimes the small ice floes move in one direction while massive counterparts flow in another. The explanation is simple, surface winds drives the little ones whereas deep ocean currents carry the huge masses. When we face trials and tragedies our lives are subject to two forces, surface winds and ocean currents. The wind represents everything changeable, unpredictable and distressing.

But operating simultaneously with these gusts and gales is another force that is even more powerful. It is the sure movement of God’s wise and sovereign purpose, the deep flow of his unchanging love. The secret of victory is to be certain that we are in touch with the unseen current.  Although the surface wind of trials becomes severe we need not be alarmed. If we trust the Lord the deep currents of his love and wisdom will carry us peacefully along.

It is possible to allow suffering to make us bitter, miserable and self-focused. Then we become spiritually dull and indifferent. However, if we focus not on the temporal but the eternal, then we shall follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance (Heb 6:12). Paul was certain that he could draw on a power which was sufficient for life and greater than death! Like Moses he endured as seeing Him who is invisible (Heb.11:27).