Week Two Blog for the Rooted Bible Study. Learn more about Rooted here.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:18
Suffering. None of us want it. We all know it will happen. However, we all secretly hope that maybe it won’t happen to us.
What is suffering?
- Financial troubles?
- Loss of a loved one?
- Health struggles?
- Stage of life?
- A undesirable state–single, kidless….
- Hurting marriage?
- Broken family?
We can define struggles and sufferings in many different ways. Most likely we will face one of those at some point in our life. However, there is a suffering we are ALL called to on a daily basis. As a Christian we are called to die to self (1 Corinthians 15:31) and to crucify our fleshly desires (Galatians 5:24). It also says in 1 Peter to arm ourself with a mind of suffering because in this we have ceased from sin (1 Peter 4:1).
I used to think suffering was meant in the context of the hardships of life, but I am beginning to realize, living for Christ in a broken world full of sin, is suffering. Our flesh suffers when we choose Jesus. When we make the choice to turn from our natural reactions and tendencies and instead ask Jesus to show us how to live a holy life, that is suffering in the flesh. Our flesh doesn’t want to do the things the Bible calls us to. Our natural reactions are bitterness, impatience, pride, and selfishness. Sometimes it feels good to stay in these natural reactions. It’s like Dave Ramsey says about our aversion to change: we are “Like a toddler, we don’t want to change. We are sitting in poop, and when asked if we want a change, we scream: ‘No! It’s warm and it’s MINE.’”
We know how to naturally do the things flesh tells us to. We naturally want to sit in poop. As a toddler that’s what “we know”. We don’t know the freedom of not sitting in poop. It’s hard to imagine until we experience it. Nah, sometimes we would rather stay in our natural state it seems less scary…maybe less hard?
However, we are called to learning the hard lessons of dying to our selfish nature to truly live. Just as a toddler goes through the hard process of potty training, we go through the learning process of crucifying the flesh and learning from Jesus. It isn’t easy and it takes work, but it is our duty.
When we feel the natural reactions creeping up we can choose Jesus instead of flesh. He will give us the power. It may feel like suffering because it isn’t natural but it WILL BE WORTH IT. When we begin to realize the freedom found in choosing His wisdom over ours, we will find strength to continue choosing this way. We will also find a peace that sustains no matter what storms are raging around us. We can find the beauty, peace, and rest in knowing that our sufferings will NEVER compare to the glory that is waiting for us in Heaven. One day, it will all be worth it. God’s promises are true. He promises us that when we continually choose to die to self and crucify flesh to choose Him, and yield to Him, it will be worth it someday.
God didn’t create us for this broken fallen world. He created us for the garden of Eden. Since sin entered, we all groan waiting for the day where there will be no more sin. Because God is good, he created a plan to take us to the ultimate perfect place one day. Until then our sufferings seem hard, dying to self is very tiring, but the glory that is waiting for us one day–Nothing can compare to this amazing hope.
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