Many times, I can get bogged down in the details of what goes on in my life. And there has been plenty detail this week, boy. From having house guests to the loss of my dad, there has been no shortage of head-spinning activity and detail. In the middle if it, I had to just keep going, like a soldier with shells going off all around them.
Then today happened. I must confess that all I wanted to do this morning was sleep in and be a bit selfish and indulgent. After all, it was a hard week, right? But I took sides against myself and went to church this morning, where I heard a message that changed how I was looking at things. God called us to suffer. He called Moses to suffer. Jesus said that we needed to take up our cross (suffer) and follow Him. I'll put the sermon up on the church website later today and link back to it here. It makes a lot more sense if you can hear it for yourself. [Follow-up: Here is the direct link to the sermon - http://www.bethanybaptistchurch.ca/sermons/2011-08-28.wav]
Now really, who wants to suffer? We (me included) spend the vast majority of our time trying to avoid suffering! It's nasty, un-fun, dirty, not pleasing, and a real drag! However, consider its end result in our lives if we will but allow it: maturity of character. Suffering defines our human existence. So as an author named Billheimer once titled a book, "Don't waste your sorrows." That is don't let them go to waste...let them create a resilient and mature character in you, and when it has, you will be able to be a real comfort to others that are going through the exact same thing. (You didn't think your experience was unique, did you? See yesterday's tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor called "The more things change, the more they stay the same.")
What is required here is a change in perspective. Maybe if we could focus more on the result of our suffering, it would be much easier to bear.
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Location:Carling Ave,Ottawa,Canada
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