Essence is a attribute or a set of attributes that make an object or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it loses its identity.
Necessity and Identity...
Life comes at you in ways that cannot be described at times. You find yourself wondering - "Why did that happen - Why did God allow me to go through such things?"
I could sit here all day and blame my parents for the way I handle issues, but blaming them would bring nothing but bitterness.... Iv'e been there. It's not a good place to be.
God allows suffering and hardship, now it's time to find truth in it.
"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which {the Lord} has promised to those who love Him. " James 1:12
God allows us to go through such things because He wants to bring things back together, the way they were originally suppose to be. When sin entered he world, it ultimately messed everything up. That's why Jesus came, to redeem all of creation...
"and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting {Himself} to Him who judges righteously;" 1 Peter 2:23
Think about that.... Take what ever your going through and compare it to Jesus. Now, what do most of us do when our lives crumble around us? Who do we blame? God... That is usually everyone's first reaction.
This must change
If you are a believer, you are going to suffer. You are going to encounter things in life you never thought was possible. The world is full of brokenness and suffering.
Suffering is a place where Christian cliche's just don't work anymore. We become numb to them, even if they are truth. It's lonely, scary, ....hopeless.
As followers of Jesus, We have to take our pain and suffering and stare it in the face. We will never know the freedom from it until we face it. We must share it... Sin thrives in darkness - not that suffering is a sin, it can just lead you to do things that you never thought possible. To become free, to be changed, we have to face it, share it, grieve it, and stand on the Truth. That is the kind of community that changes the world. We must acknowledge that we are not ok and seek help.
Following Jesus isn't about managing your sin, it's about becoming the creation you were intended to be.
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"Suffering is a place where Christian cliches just don't work anymore. We bcome numb to them, even if they are truth."
ReplyDeleteMan, that is so true. When people around us suffer, we spout bilblical truths with an unhelpful triteness. Or water them down so much they become meaningless. We need to suffer along with one another - live out the truth alongside the sufferer.