Suffering For His Glory Series

Friends, will a child of God face suffering? Does a believer have to go through a path of suffering?

Jesus called His way in Matthew 7:13-14; the ‘narrow gate’ and said ‘difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.’ Further in John 16:33 Jesus says ‘in the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ Also 1 Peter 4:16 &19 ‘Yet if anyone suffers as Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.’ These are few of the many verses which state that as a child of God; yes we are blessed but there is also sufferings we will face as followers of Christ.

What are these sufferings that we will face and why do we face them?

The world will hate you (Luke 21:17, John 15:18-19)

Friends, it is fact that when you follow Christ you will be hated by all. In fact you may lose your inheritance, your promotions, money that is due to you or something that is rightfully yours will be kept back from you just because you follow Christ. I have had many people tell me of such incidents in their lives. To be a friend of Christ means to be an enemy of the world. To be a friend of the world means you are an enemy of God (James 4:4). Jesus tells us if we truly follow Him; we will be hated by all.

You will face persecution (Matthew 5:10-12, John 15:20, 1 Peter 4:14)

From mild insults to getting beaten or even put to death; every believer who decides to live a holy life in Christ will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). A lot of people do not want to give up their worldly social life even their social drinking because they say what will the others think, we need to socialize also, we cannot be seen as fanatics. They fear rejection and insults. Well friends, if you fear persecution then you cannot truly follow Christ. To follow Christ means to have a zeal and a passion just like the Levites in the Old Covenant who will do anything and everything for the Lord because they love Him with their whole being. Further Christ tells us in Matthew 10:32-33 ‘Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.’ Yes we will have to stand for Christ and be a public testimony for Him in this world if we want to enter Heaven. Hence if you cannot stand for Christ within your social circles, friends and family; then Christ will say I know you not on that day when you stand before the judgement seat of Christ. So friends, persecution, be it mild or life threatening is part and parcel of every Christian’s life. Christ was persecuted so we will also be persecuted for following Him. John 15:20 ‘Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than His Master, If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.’

To train you, the Lord will take you to a path of suffering (Hebrews 12:5-11, 1 Peter 2:20-21)

The Greek word used for disciplining means to train a person. That is why Hebrews 12:11 speaking of God’s disciplining/chastening finishes off by saying ‘afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.’ Have you wondered why most true servants of God have come through a path of great suffering? Well the Lord through those experienced puts into their hearts His compassion and love. When you go through something only you will truly understand its pain. A person who has faced poverty or loss or sickness will know the burden of going through it. So when you know how it feels and you have come out victorious from it – you will pray with a heart filled with compassion and love for someone else who is now facing such a situation for a miracle to happen now.

To make you perfect

James 1:2-5 ‘My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of you faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.’ Romans 5:3-5 ‘but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.’ The Word of God tells us to count it all joy when we face trials and glory in them. Why is that? The testing of our faith produces within us something that is very rare in human beings. What is that rare thing? It produces patience. Patience is a Godly nature and the Lord wants it birth within you.