Sometimes there are truths that I know, but about which I still need to be reminded.Such was the case in our pastor's sermon today. He's been preaching through the book of 1 Peter on Sundays, and I especially appreciated today's message. He was looking at 1 Peter 3:13-17 and how God can bring blessing through suffering.
I've mentioned both over on Kingdom Bloggers and here about how "The plan" didn't turn out how it was supposed to with regard to my work. That after being unemployed for close to 18 months, I'm now working an hour commute from home for 58% less than I previously made at the company for which I'd worked for 9 years. In one sense of the word, I see this as suffering.
The pastor used an analogy to which I could relate. He talked about how in a kid's mind his parents are being good to him if they give the kid everything the kid wants, when he wants it. But we all know that parents who do that cause their children to become lazy, entitled, and less appealing human beings. As good parents, we don't always give our child everything he wants, but we do make sure to give him everything he needs. The pastor pointed out that this is how God is with us. That sometimes there are situations in our lives that are not what we want, but may very well be what we need.
He talked about how sometimes God will use some situations that are tough for us, to bring truth to others. Or how He will sometimes use tough times in our lives to develop us into better people. How ultimately God does want our best and how we can continue to wait on Him until we see the blessing in situations. He made a statement about how he chooses to be the kind of person who will wait on God until God either changes the circumstances, or until God changes him.
I want to be that kind of person too.
What about you, do you have any circumstances in your life right now where you're in a tough situation and waiting on God to see what He wants to do through this situation?
3 comments:
Hi Tracy,
Several times you've mentioned your reservations about taking the "lower" job with a "commute from home for 58% less than I previously made".
Sorry, I'd planned to comment before but could never think how to word it. But there is a grace in taking the lower place at the feast.
Jesus humbled Himself and emptied Himself of some attributes in order to come to this world in the first place. And, once here, He did not dwell on how important He'd been someplace else.
Yes, you are suffering in the lower position, but you are there because you have been chosen (and I don't mean by the human resources office).
Once for a long stretch in my life, even though I think I'm a pretty bright guy, I had to work as a night janitor--what a waste of talent! But before I could move on in my life I had to learn to serve the Lord where I happened to be. I had to learn to clean each urinal as though Jesus Himself would be the next guy to piss there.
It's a crying shame, but we can't learn humility without being humiliated.
I hope your trial is a short one.
Love, John
I wouldn't say I am suffering now, though I destest the commuting. I certainly have had times where I have.
The alabaster box is a representation of you and me. (Luke 7:37) In the box is a perfume; a fragrance that represent the release of God's Spirit from within us.
Alabaster is really a soft stone that can easily be carved, but it is still a stone. In the time of Jesus they did not have hinges or other ways to seal the boxes. So they glued it together with pitch. In order to get the fragrance out, the box had to be broken open.
We are the same, unless we fall on the rock hard enough to be broken, we are only damaged and God's Spirit cannot be released.
I had a similar experience to you. I owned a company, and the new owners hired me on to work there. They laid me off at a very difficult time in life. I ended up making $400 per week on unemployment and had to take a job for 20% of what I had been making.
It is never easy going backwards. But as you know, God is opening all sorts of doors for me now to serve him.
He'll do the same for you. All you need to do is be faithful. And based on what I read here, you are.
Appreciate your thoughts John; fascinating take on it - chosen. Chosen to get to take the lower place. Thanks for the encouragement, may I indeed be more like Jesus
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