Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Suffering

After my morning walk with Avery and Karis, I had a lot of driving to do in the afternoon.  I'd been wanting to listen to a message by Louie Giglio on suffering, so I popped it in.  It was so impactful that later that night after ISI, I had Kory listen to it.

He talked about how suffering can be a megaphone for God.  Kory and I have noticed this, especially with some of our neighbors.  When you are going through something difficult, people lean in a little closer and listen to what you have to say.  Your words carry more weight because you aren't just saying it, your living it.  For this reason, our suffering has purpose because we are given a platform to shout God's name more loudly than we ever have before.  Would I rather God use a different avenue to give me a platform to shout his name?  Yes.  Would I rather have had my 20 week ultra sound reveal a healthy baby inside, than be handed a megaphone by God to give him glory?  Selfishly, yes. But I can't change my reality, so I shout anyways.

The most important lesson God taught me through this sermon is this:  as believers in Christ, absolutely nothing, can stop us from our mission- our mission of making much of Christ and bringing him glory.  NOTHING.

If our hearts #1 desire and mission in life is to make God famous, make him known, and bring him all the glory we can....nothing can ever stop you from that!  What if the bottom falls out?  What if the worst thing happens? What if death takes from you or someone you love?  Your mission gets louder.  Your voice for Christ gets amplified.  Your platform to make much for him is elevated.

Satan can't stop you no matter how he may try to "steal, kill, and destroy us."  As he tries to ruin us, God allows us to rise as we stay faithful to him.   I had a moment today where I laughed in the enemy's face and thought, what he meant for evil, God truly is using for my good.  What he thought would make me angry at God, has been what has drawn me closer to God.  What he thought would rip me apart is making me stronger.  What he thought would cause my faith to fail, has only allowed my faith in Christ to deepen.

It's still not easy.  Knowing that truth doesn't fix it and make it all better.  Understanding this doesn't make me think "oh it's all worth it now."  I still wrestle, I still hurt, I still struggle.  But it helps.  It helps to know God is painting on a canvas bigger than I can see.  I trust he is painting a masterpiece regardless of how I feel.  So I keep allowing him to paint, and in the meantime I will shout that he is still good.

"If God is for us, who can be agiainst us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?.........I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."   Romans 8:31; 37-39



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