Suffering

Today I read in Paul's letter to the Church at Colosse:

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,..." (1:24-25)

What initially stood out to me from these verses is the oddness of Paul rejoicing in his sufferings. I was struck by how unusual and illogical it is to respond to suffering with joy. Then I thought back to Paul in other places (how in Acts 5:41, he and others rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name; and how another prison letter, this time to the Philippians, abounded with references to being joyful, though his natural condition of imprisonment left a lot to be desired). So as odd as this response is to me, at least Paul is consistent!

Then I thought about the words of Jesus Christ Himself: that our attitude towards suffering for Him (persecuted was the term He used) should be rejoicing (Matthew 5:10-12).

My next thought was, "Why? Why in the world would anyone respond to any kind of suffering with joy?" Well, in the case of suffering for Christ and His Church, there are numerous reasons: 1) It is an honor to be connected with Christ, even by suffering for Him and as He did; 2) Jesus said our heavenly reward is great when we are persecuted for Him; and 3) Suffering to share Christ and His Gospel with others is worth it when we see folks' present lives and eternal destinies forever changed by the transforming power of salvation.

Well, my thoughts now turned inward. I asked myself, "Joyce, what is your attitude toward suffering for Christ?" Wish I could say something different, but it wasn't pretty. My tendency is to shrink back from it, avoid it at all costs, even rail against those at whose hands I suffer. Part of this is natural and understandable. I mean, who in her right mind signs up for the school of suffering? No one. But there is another part of me that seeks to avoid association with Christ and His work simply because of the suffering it brings. And that is not good. It is tantamount to being ashamed of Christ.

Next my mind moved to a rather basic but oft-overlooked point: We will suffer for Christ. The how differs depending on our situation or locale, but the fact remains the same. I believe it was Timothy who made the observation that ALL who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. This remark does not mean we should be anti-culture or that we should disengage from the world around us. It simply means salt doesn't just preserve; it stings. Light doesn't just illuminate; it hurts the eyes and it exposes the dirt. Jesus said some people didn't receive Him because He was the Light and they loved darkness more because their deeds were evil and they didn't want anyone shedding light on them. What's really bugged is Jesus' comments to His disciples about their new relationship with the world. In a word, he characterized it as HATE. Dang! Check out John 15:18-25. Contrary to the beliefs of my post-modern-loving friends, Jesus' language in this passage is pretty exclusive rather than inclusive. There is clearly an in and an out group. There is a sharp dichotomy of those who belong to Him and those who do not. And there's not a hint of arrogance in Jesus' relation of these realities; He's just kicking the facts. And it's like He's preparing His followers for what they will experience (antagonism and hostility at times from those in the world) so that they will not be devastated when they go through it. And get this: Jesus used Himself as the prime example of being hated by the world and suffering at its hands.

My take-aways:
Joyce, never fear being who you are, whether it is at work or with dissenting Christians. Never fear the feelings of being different, of being an outcast or oddball, that come from being associated with Christ. Don't try to blend in so much that you lose your Christian uniqueness, your distinctiveness (salt is then good for nothing). Don't hide your light under a bushel. If you do, how will folks be drawn to the Light?

And from the example of Jesus, Paul, and other martyrs, it's clear that my response to persecution and suffering for Christ should never be physical retaliation or even feelings of superiority or arrogance (all were mad humble) or even being ashamed of the Gospel so much so that I cease to share it or cease to live it. No, the response is to commit myself to the One who is able to keep me and to even use me amidst my suffering.