"Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2
She said, "this life has turned out harder than I ever dreamed" "our family has suffered great tragedy"
"This life has turned out harder than I ever dreamed."
These words have echoed through my heart the past couple of days over and over again. It came in an email two days ago from a friend I had lost touch with...haven’t talked in years. I went to the same church as her family did. It was one of those "superchurches"....ya know, growing by leaps and bounds, God was "moving mightily", we were all gonna do "great things" for God.
Tragedy wouldn’t fit into the equation.
I have always known this person as a passionate follower of Christ. I don't believe that has changed. I believe she is still, wholeheartedly in love with Jesus. Although I haven't spoken with her in years, judging from the email, I have no doubt she is still "working out her salvation with fear and trembling". I also know this person is not a "wimp". She can take some hits. I've seen her take some.
"My family has suffered great tragedy."
But she's a faithful believer! A true lover of God! What's the deal?!? Why?
I honestly do not know what's happened in her life. I don't know what loss...what tragedy she has endured. But ya know what....I agree with her...I agree with her wholeheartedly. This life has turned out much harder than I ever dreamed...it hurts...it’s difficult... it can even be unbearable…sometimes the pain from loss cannot be soothed, and the clouds of darkness cannot be dispelled. In fact, at times I look back over the years and think, man if I knew that had been coming, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to take one more step!
My heart breaks for my "old friend"...I don't know what has hurt her and her family, and I don't pretend to know their pain...I only know my own. But my own pain is exactly what drives me to embrace the pain of others…well that, and Jesus.
Let's stop there for a second. By nature I'm a pretty selfish person....okay, very selfish. It's all about Sean sometimes. So...let's do some calculations...math has never been my strong subject but we'll give it a shot.
By nature I am selfish...but my heart is hurting for my friend...though I'm selfish, I do pray for God's heart...so, maybe God has shared his heart with me...so if I am hurting for my friend and I have prayed to know God’s heart, maybe God would like me to let her know he is hurting for her, loving her, thinking about her,...carrying her...
And since I am by nature a selfish person...but the pain I have endured causes me to embrace those around me in their struggle, then maybe I should be busy about fulfilling the law of Christ...what? Fulfilling the law of Christ? Me? Fulfill the law of Christ? Have you seen my sin?
When the disciples urged Jesus to eat, he said, "my meat is to do the will of him who sent me".
I'm not sure what Jesus meant by this but it makes me think, YES!!! When I reach out to others around me to help them in some way, be it ever so simple, I WALK AWAY FULL. I FEEL FED. I love to eat food…but there is nothing like being used of God even if it's in just some small way. It can be VERY FULFILLING. Our meat is to do the will of the Father by worshiping Him and carrying one another’s burdens….and so fulfill the law of Christ.
She said, "this life has turned out harder than I ever dreamed" "our family has suffered great tragedy"
"This life has turned out harder than I ever dreamed."
These words have echoed through my heart the past couple of days over and over again. It came in an email two days ago from a friend I had lost touch with...haven’t talked in years. I went to the same church as her family did. It was one of those "superchurches"....ya know, growing by leaps and bounds, God was "moving mightily", we were all gonna do "great things" for God.
Tragedy wouldn’t fit into the equation.
I have always known this person as a passionate follower of Christ. I don't believe that has changed. I believe she is still, wholeheartedly in love with Jesus. Although I haven't spoken with her in years, judging from the email, I have no doubt she is still "working out her salvation with fear and trembling". I also know this person is not a "wimp". She can take some hits. I've seen her take some.
"My family has suffered great tragedy."
But she's a faithful believer! A true lover of God! What's the deal?!? Why?
I honestly do not know what's happened in her life. I don't know what loss...what tragedy she has endured. But ya know what....I agree with her...I agree with her wholeheartedly. This life has turned out much harder than I ever dreamed...it hurts...it’s difficult... it can even be unbearable…sometimes the pain from loss cannot be soothed, and the clouds of darkness cannot be dispelled. In fact, at times I look back over the years and think, man if I knew that had been coming, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to take one more step!
My heart breaks for my "old friend"...I don't know what has hurt her and her family, and I don't pretend to know their pain...I only know my own. But my own pain is exactly what drives me to embrace the pain of others…well that, and Jesus.
Let's stop there for a second. By nature I'm a pretty selfish person....okay, very selfish. It's all about Sean sometimes. So...let's do some calculations...math has never been my strong subject but we'll give it a shot.
By nature I am selfish...but my heart is hurting for my friend...though I'm selfish, I do pray for God's heart...so, maybe God has shared his heart with me...so if I am hurting for my friend and I have prayed to know God’s heart, maybe God would like me to let her know he is hurting for her, loving her, thinking about her,...carrying her...
And since I am by nature a selfish person...but the pain I have endured causes me to embrace those around me in their struggle, then maybe I should be busy about fulfilling the law of Christ...what? Fulfilling the law of Christ? Me? Fulfill the law of Christ? Have you seen my sin?
When the disciples urged Jesus to eat, he said, "my meat is to do the will of him who sent me".
I'm not sure what Jesus meant by this but it makes me think, YES!!! When I reach out to others around me to help them in some way, be it ever so simple, I WALK AWAY FULL. I FEEL FED. I love to eat food…but there is nothing like being used of God even if it's in just some small way. It can be VERY FULFILLING. Our meat is to do the will of the Father by worshiping Him and carrying one another’s burdens….and so fulfill the law of Christ.
I can't explain why terrible things happen in this world. I can't explain why terrible things happen to my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, but I can tell you that I'm not sure I would have as deep of the taste of God’s heart and love if it were not for having the opportunity to live in this fallen world...and having to suffer this life...what I’m saying is (please don’t throw stones at my theology, I’m just rambling) we all know hurt and pain can cause us to realize a deeper love in ourselves and others and God. So while the Garden brought perfect bliss, is it possible we are blessed with ever-increasing depths of the revelation of God’s love through experiencing him in this fallen world? Sometimes when I see someone hurting, it makes me realize so much more how much I love them!
“to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” Ephesians 3:18
And I say these things with gentle respect....I've never lost a child...I've never gone through divorce...I've never fought in a war and had to take another's life...I've never gone without food to the point of sickness or impending death...I've never gone without food for more than a day!....I've never had to live in a cardboard shack with a dirt floor...I've never gone without plumbing or heating or air conditioning....or even clean water…
"The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out." Proverbs 20:5
"The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out." Proverbs 20:5
When I sit with a person, a friend that is suffering…I never know what to say…even feel stupid sometimes…but I know that deep in my heart something “supernatural” is happening…there’s this hurt…this burden…this something…this love…that makes me want to sit there with them instead of going and watching TV or something…maybe in some small way…in that instance…the law of Christ is being fulfilled…a burden is being shared…
Excellent blog. I too have seen many Christians endure suffering the last couple of years and because I didn't fully understand the mysteries of God or the purpose of suffering, I missed the blessing or teaching within the trial. As I read your blog I was reminded of a prayer from the St. Ambrose prayer book for the sick.
ReplyDelete...hallow all sufferings by Thine all-holy sufferings, and teach all sufferers to unite their sufferings with Thine, to be hallowed by Thine.
When we unite or sufferings with Christ, it is a prayer of sorts....much like tears… and helps us in our Theosis or working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. I've found that these mysteries are better understood when reading the writings of the saints and early fathers.
I am guilty myself in being selfish and not reaching out to those that suffer. Your words compel me to comfort those that are suffering and not to be like Job’s friends that offered only their version of the answer to “Why”.