In this last week of being home I have seemed to come across a few common themes while visiting my home Church in Colorado and the book I have been reading, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, by John Ortberg. The themes: suffering and perseverance.
On Sunday, Pastor Jim spoke from Luke 2:25-35. Simeon, a faithful and devoted servant of God, spoke of Jesus’ reign to come, “This child is destined to cause the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
In the spirit of Christmas we celebrate all that Christ means to us, but has it ever crossed your mind to thank Jesus for our suffering, especially on Christmas? As much as I hate struggling, suffering, and falling, I would be missing an important part of what Christ has done for me. So during this Christmas season, I have been challenged to be thankful for all that I have suffered and learned… Merry Christmas? I would say so! While I would never wish to suffer, or fall, I may never have to suffer again in the same way because I have persevered and matured. So in the spirit of Christmas, be thankful for all that you have learned through suffering and persevering.
What does it mean to rise and fall? Jesus came, and he challenged the way viewed God. His life was the perfect example of rising, falling, and rising again (both metaphorically and literally). Though he has given us grace and truth, and calling us to much more in life than our own wants and needs, it is by no means an easy calling. When Christ came to give us “life to the fullest”, we were given the opportunity to rise and fall.
I’ve come to understand that falling is inevitable, and as Pastor Jim put, “You have to fall in order to rise”. Life, and life in Christ, will present many challenges and struggles. Whether they be physical, mental, professional, spiritual, relational, or financial, suffering allows us a most precious opportunity to learn. Falling can take many shapes, but I also believe falling challenges our faith to mature much faster than we would be willing when life is easy, as found in James 1:2-4.
In my most recent reading, John Ortberg makes a very good point about suffering.
“Suffering alone does not produce perseverance, only suffering that is endured somehow in faith…”
When we make the wholehearted effort to pursue God, we will suffer; but it is only suffering endured through faith in His will for us can we really persevere. Otherwise we are just surviving, not persevering. When we struggle, our hearts are revealed as Simeon stated in Luke 2. I don’t want survive; I want to persevere. I wish I could say that has always been the case, but I am grateful for the challenge to suffer in new ways and with a new heart.
Are we going to show faithfulness to God when times get tough, or only when things are good and easy? Are we willing to let God work through our struggles, or do we want to hold onto our own hopes and dreams and not trust that what God has for us is so much more than we could ever hope and dream? I hope so, and I think God is faithful and will send us the encouragement we need to endure the suffering and see Him work mightily in us and through us.
Christ came and suffered for us, more than we will ever be able to fully understand. In his coming we have been given the same great honor, to rise and fall, and hopefully transform into the great tool he intended us to be… Merry Christmas, may you fall and rise, may you suffer and persevere, and may you be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
