“Now when the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table and the apostles joined him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’” —Luke 22:14–16
Jesus, knowing that this Passover was to be a prologue to His suffering, kept His focus on the fact that His future suffering was necessary for humankind’s redemption and for His Father’s glory. Suffering is oftentimes the prelude to glory.
Oh if we all could only look at life through those lenses! We must not scorn the pain, the hard work, the trial, the obstacle. Rather, we must seek to see what God will produce in and through us. As we embrace our circumstances with joy, by focusing on what it will inevitably produce, we bring God much glory. We must never forget that Jesus chose to die for us, because of the outcome His actions would accomplish.
“Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and taking his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:2
Pain is pain. We should never marginalize or minimize others’ afflictions. I remember once being told when I was going through a rather trying time that at least I was not in a concentration camp! I don’t know your pain tolerance, but being one notch better off than a concentration camp experience brought me little, if any, comfort. The promise of Scripture, on the other hand, brought peace to my troubled soul. Paul’s words in Romans reverberated in my weary spirit:
“And we know that in all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” —Romans 8:28–30
All things are not good; rather God works all things for our good. There is a huge difference between those two statements! The cross was not good, but what God worked by that action was extremely good—the salvation of humankind!
Our goal as believers in Jesus is found in the book of Colossians:
“[to] stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” —Colossians 4:12
Become More
Standing firm and fully assured even when the winds of trial and dire circumstances are blowing is a mark of a mature Christian. It is also a mark of one who brings glory to God. It is easy to be “on fire” when circumstances are favorable, but let a little rainfall on our parade and we are often found wallowing in self-pity, groaning, and complaining. How much better for us to season our lives with the spices of contentment and joy rather than to harbor bitterness and resentment which will corrode our lives like acid.
Further Reflection
“A depressed, dejected, dispirited believer is a poor recommendation for the Christian faith. We’re to be hopeful people—optimists—who have grasped the reality of Romans 8:28 and its guarantee of God’s all-encompassing providence over the lives of His children.” —Robert Morgan