Suffering...the Blessing
The Kingdom life includes suffering!! Expect it!
SAY WHAT NOW???? 😲
If ye be reproached (addressed in such a way as to express disapproval of you), for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the “spirit of glory, and of God” rests upon you."
(KJV) 1Peter 4:14
What a blessing for us all, to be so closely identified with Christ, that the world treats us, the same way it treated Him! It's not about taking on a false spiritual attitude; but rather— about us correcting our perspective, in the moment of suffering about who we are in Christ.
“Blessed are you when others “revile” you, (an abusive attack or reproach, prompted by anger or hatred), and persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you “falsely” on my account.”
(Mathew 5:11) ESV
Rejoice (be incredibly happy and glad), 😁 for your reward is great…for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You thought this path to finding real life would be easy? That you could just quote a few scriptures and make positive affirmations? If anyone told you that this would be an easy and broad way simply because God loves us—they have mislead you! He does love us—so much so that He submitted to the process—of offering His own life, that we could find ours. Now we have to allow the work to be completed in us!
There will be sufferings on this path to life! The Good News is…it will release the glory and anointed power of God upon you, your life, and your family! It’s called…The Blessing!!!
Jesus made it clear: the path to life is open to everyone who asks, but they must enter by the narrow gate. The other gate—the gate to destruction, is wide and broad, and there are many who go in by this gate.
The ‘gate’ to heaven is “narrow” in the sense of having a particular requirement for entrance in it—strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and “few” are there that find it! FEW!!
Jesus says that this “narrow gate,” leads unto a “hard” road, a road laden with difficulties; but one that will take us through each and every hardship or difficulty.
Road narrows signs indicate that the road “ahead,” will not be as wide as the road you're currently on.
This is a warning of upcoming “potential” hazards. The easy road makes no demands…but it offers ‘no’ rewards either.
The hard road makes great demands…but offers life! This means we have to leave behind everything that God points out to us that will hinder us from walking on the strait and narrow way.
For Instance:
Our own reasonings and ideas.
Our belief in our own abilities
Any relationships that hold us back.
Status. Honor. Pride.
Our own thoughts about how our life should be
Our own desires.
It means that we must overcome those things in us, that causes us to sin (includes things like laziness, self-seeking, greed, resentment, and pride)…those things that are so natural to us, but so unnatural to God—in order to experience His glory.
Most of us have stubborn hearts that sometimes cause us to resist the power of God. We are often confined by our traditions, or our private interpretations of what we think it is, to be on the strait and narrow. Many of those things have to be counted as loss and rubbish and left outside the gate; there is no room for them on the narrow way. God’s perspective is the only one that matters here.
If we can get our eyes opened to see, as Paul saw, the value of what it is to “gain Christ,” then we can see how it is possible to count everything else as loss.
What is the result of walking on this strait and narrow way?
We get to know Jesus Christ, the Lord…the all-sufficient one, the almighty God…personally! Not only do we get to know Him, but the confidence that we can rest in the assurance that He know us!
He’s the Hook-up!
Now we can see why it is called the narrow way. There are few who are willing to actually walk on this path, because to give up our own will, cause suffering. Suffering—causes the biblically-grounded believer to worship God—praising His providential hand and trusting His loving heart—even when the causes for hurtful circumstances are unclear. It means to feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind; in order for us to undergo and become better Ambassadors for Him.
Yet to walk on this narrow way, is not a heavy life. There is actually great freedom on the narrow way.
Everything we experience in life, that causes our flesh to react and tempt us to sin, is an opportunity to overcome it, and obtain more and more freedom; and as our sinful nature is shed, the virtues of Christ – the fruits of the Spirit…grows.
Different perspective huh?
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.