Store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven
where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Something’s Changed

As I move into my third decade as a follower of Jesus I’m noticing something.

Something has changed - dramatically changed. What’s changed is that I completely identify with Paul when he said, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

There are atheists who read this blog who will say, “Paul is insane. They’re both insane. Who would delight in the sorrows of life?”

Well, I do, because where sorrow is, there Jesus is also.

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

That is about as counter-culture a statement as anyone can make. In North America we do everything possible to avoid mourning, suffering, pain, tragedy. Atheists even base their denial of God's existence upon the presence of suffering.

What I’ve learned over the years is that when we stop denying pain and instead step into it with the anticipation of meeting God in the midst of it, we are never disappointed. Instead we find that our lives become grounded in a stability we never dreamed possible. “Those who wait upon the Lord become like Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance.” The way to rise above pain and suffering is not to avoid it or deny it’s power, but to live completely in the midst of it. I’m not talking about avoiding the medical system or not trying to remain healthy. I’m talking about releasing our grip on the things over which we don’t have any control in the first place.

An atheist said to me recently that if he were God, He would have created a world where suffering was not necessary in order to experience genuine love. Pretty profound for anyone, let alone someone who denies the existence of the Source of love, his Creator. Another atheist wrote that if he were God, he would have created a universe / world where the people of His creation had the chance to grow and improve - albeit without the help of their Creator. So close to the truth of the matter and yet so far.

One of our problems is that we fail to realise the tremendous resource we have in and through suffering, for precisely that - growth and improvement.

A major key to not just surviving life but to triumphing over life, is when we stop rebelling against pain and step into its power to transform us into someone who is more and greater than who we now are. My experience has been that life comes at us with tremendous and relentless ferocity. I feel like I’ve been pummelled and pounded by events that are not unique to my own existence. But here’s the thing and it’s important. We can rebel against hardship and suffering - which I did for the first thirty years of my life - or we can “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ - after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong.” 1st Peter 5:5-7,10

There it is! The transforming power that is made possible only and always in the midst of pain and suffering. Hard times bring to the surface characteristics of ours, characteristics that remain hidden in times of ease, that need to be removed from us to - how did the atheist put it? - to grow and improve. God created a world without suffering. “Obey Me,” He said, “and paradise can be yours forever. Disobey Me and hardship and suffering will be your lot until the day you die.”

In light of our present circumstances, my prayer is, “Lord don’t come into my life to change my pain. Rather, come into my pain in order to change me.”

Adam and Eve made the choice they did and this is now the way of life. HOWEVER, because God loves us, suffering does not take place in the absence of meaning and context and purpose. In fact, pain and tragedy can accomplish in us the exact opposite than what satan intended. Rather than destroy us, God can take “Trials and suffering and difficulties and make us more than conquerors.” Romans 8:37.

Adding to the many paradoxes of the Christian life, (win through losing; get through giving; live through dying etc.) with Jesus as our companion, rather than the loss of a loved one or health or wealth or belonging etc., rather than loss taking something important from us, the loss of any of these actually becomes our gain.

“Where I am there My servants will be also.”

Where was Jesus most likely to be found? He was with those who were in mourning. With those who were cast-offs. With the rejects who existed on the fringes of society. Mourning, loss and tragedy presents the conditions whereby we are more likely to find Jesus.

Where Jesus is with us, suffering loses its power over us.

4 comments:

  1. you are ENEMIES OF GOD AND ARE GOING TO BE ANNIHILATED...

    Repent and turn to God or be destroyed...

    YOU HAVE NO CHOICE...

    my interpretation of the STATUE FIRE... it symbolizes the SPIRITUAL DEATH of atheism...



    http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/topofthetimes/national/la-naw-0616-jesus-statue-lightning-20100616,0,4295974.story


    http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/6/16/1276680110544/The-King-of-Kings-statue--005.jpg



    http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-06/54332292.jpg


    http://friendlyatheist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/butterjesus-1.jpg



    PRINCESS DI IS WEARING A NEW DRESS!


    http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/a_speech_by_hrh_the_prince_of_wales_titled_islam_and_the_env_252516346.html

    ______________________________

    http://skepticblog.org/2010/04/06/would-i-ever-pray-for-a-miracle/

    Shermer, I WANT TO SEE YOU BEG FOR A MIRACLE...
    ___________________


    we do like your music Lady Gaga, but...


    The B**BQUAKE - 911


    Let me show you the FATE OF TRAITORS...


    http://www.loiterink.com/photos/products/182_3424_500x500.jpg

    they are incapable of telling the difference between SCIENTIFIC *FACT* AND RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL *TRUTH*... FATAL ERROR!

    they also preach a *VALUE FREE SCIENCE* called *POSITIVISM* that ignores the inequalities of wealth and power in capitalist civilization...



    for a sample taste of PZ Myers' GARBAGE...

    http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/06/sunday_sacrilege_imagine_no_he.php


    HIJACKING IN PROGRESS!!!

    http://hawaiiwebgroup.com/maui-design/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/website-hijacking.jpg


    HIJACKING IN PROGRESS!!!

    how can these HEADLESS IDIOTS BET AGAINST GOD!!!
    ________________________________________


    what happens when you LOSE Pascal's Wager...


    http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/pascals-wager.htm

    _____________


    you FIGHT PAPER MONSTERS...

    the blood and bodies of the atheist movement...


    you mofos killed MICKEY MOUSE!!!!


    this has more TRUTH then what Dawkins, Randi, Harris, Myers, and Shermer
    combined have said in their entire lives...


    http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=5R2wE8Sduhs&playnext_from=TL&videos=hht1U_19anc&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh%2Bdiv-1r-3-HM



    they tried to BULLDOZE the entire METAPHYSICAL DIMENSION...

    they LOST THE WAR......

    you have FORFEIT YOUR SOUL, shermer... you have become an object in the
    material world, as you WISHED...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUB4j0n2UDU

    http://farm1.static.flickr.com/7/11792994_ffaaee87fa.jpg

    we're gonna smash that TV...

    They had become ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE AND OF GOD...
    you pushed too much and *CROSSED THE LINE*

    degenerates (PZ) or children (HEMANT) - ATHEISTS!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRRg2tWGDSY

    do you have anything to say, you STUPID LITTLE F*CKER?

    how about I tell you, Mr. Shermer, EVERYTHING YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORLD is

    *WRONG*

    THE BOOBQUAKE - 911!

    http://dissidentphilosophy.lifediscussion.net/philosophy-f1/the-boobquake-911-t1310.htm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx7XNb3Q9Ek

    RUN, ATHEISTS, RUN!!!

    -------------------

    http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html

    the 9th and FINAL RING of Dante's Inferno is designed for little blaspheming traitors like you...

    "This is the deepest level of hell, where the fallen angel Satan himself resides. His wings flap eternally, producing chilling cold winds that freeze the thick ice found in Cocytus..."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mak said.." I completely identify with Paul when he said, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” "

    Was Paul also delighting for all those many who had to die in the faith sacrifices the baby burnings or those who would need to suffer and endure split familys and broken marriages ans suicide in future due to paople faiths? ..

    Or was Paul just trying to prop up his own feelings and (think of himself) and make (himself feel wonderful) by wallowing in his faith method of escapism.Hell Mak, even most of the (teliban today feel exactly like Paul) did, they also say we are being persecuted oh woe is me, but we will talley hoe! and head onward and later on recieve 70 virgins for all our good work and suffering .Sheeze Mak my nasty cult family thinks eactly the same way, its what keeps them moving on blindly splitting up families and causing the odd suicide here and there,and if anyone ever questions they all simply think ...Oh but we are being persecuted and suffering for whats right and good ...Pauls same thoughts all over again!


    Mak said.."The way to rise above pain and suffering is not to avoid it or deny it’s power, but to live completely in the midst of it. I’m not talking about avoiding the medical system or not trying to remain healthy. I’m talking about releasing our grip on the things over which we don’t have any control in the first place."

    Yeah well dont worry plenty of humans have had to try to live completely in the midst of pain and suffering brought on by faiths ...They had little control if faithful humans went and decided human sacrifice might cure earthquakes or floods or droughts ...No all they could do is try and rise above it ...Same with split and devided families and women being abused as lower beings and those in any same sex relationships today ...still need to try and rise above nasty attitudes brought on by faithful bigotry that has long infested our planet like a malignant cancer.And yet all the faithful do.... is sit back wallowing in themselves and feeling oh so punished and downtrodden and persecuted.

    Thats how they are...Thats whats kept them going even since the time of Paul ..Self centred attitude and inward feelings of being the ones hard done by ....Never ever daring to be bothering to think of all those! they punished! and persecuted! for so very long

    Mak said..."God created a world without suffering. “Obey Me,” He said, “and paradise can be yours forever. Disobey Me and hardship and suffering will be your lot until the day you die.” "

    Sounds lots like a school bully ...Do only what i say!, and ill let you live ...But DARE MESS with me at all, and by jove! ill make you live to regret it forever.


    The school Bully had a world without any suffering on offer too! ...All they needed to do!, was live by his rules ...and everything would have been simply hunky-dorey

    Sadly those kids didnt listen ...Sadly they made the mistake , by listening to something that tempted them or whatever...They obviously just were not created perfect enough to not be able to make mistakes.Had they been created perfect enough,mistakes would have been impossible!

    Bad bad people ...Theres absolutely no room for mistakes ...Brought on Punishment for EVERYONE ! for ever.Im the school bully

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mak many folks rise above problems by learning yoga or special breathing exercises ..Other folk meditate on love of the wide and wonderful nature and out doors ...Then get out in amongst it whenever thay can ,i know i forget many troubles when out exploring the bush ot going fishing down at the seaside.

    Faith is simply not needed to still be able to attain the very same attitudes you talk about ....And whats more .... yoga and outdoor activitys etc.... dont tend to ever split up many families or cause many suicides either.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DM said..."http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html

    the 9th and FINAL RING of Dante's Inferno is designed for little blaspheming traitors like you...

    "This is the deepest level of hell, where the fallen angel Satan himself resides. His wings flap eternally, producing chilling cold winds that freeze the thick ice found in Cocytus..."

    DM why do you try and frighten us by use of some stuff created for comedy?

    Quote :Dante's Inferno Hell Test is based on Dante's Divine Comedy, written in the early 1300s by Dante Alighieri

    ReplyDelete