I read a great quote today out of Patrick Morley’s “Seven Seasons of the Man in the Mirror.”
“He whom God loveth, He beateth the hell out of.” –Jamie Buckingham.
Why?
Well, I posted this in my Twitter stream earlier today as I was reading one of the chapters on suffering. I must admit, Patrick Morley had me really rethinking about everything that I’ve been through the past twelve months, at the very least.
I suppose I finally realize that Christians are called to suffer. I never bought into the health-and-wealth/prosperity gospel, but I suppose that deep-down, I’ve been afraid to endure suffering and pain in all of it’s forms. I dare say that is probably one of the biggest issues with the American church or just Americans in general.
As Americans, we spend countless dollars on pain medications. We don’t want to deal with pain in any of it’s forms. And that’s just the world. I think most churches feel that as Christians, we shouldn’t have to suffer in spite of the fact that Our Lord told us, very specifically:
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33.
Jesus promised us we would have tribulation! If you aren’t going through trials and tribulations, you better check to see who is in charge of your life and running the show.
Yeah, God has been, from time-to-time over the past twelve months, beating “the hell out of me.” But you know, I think there is more to this statement than meets the eye. I’m starting to see it in a more literal sense of really purging out the sin/hell in my life. The thing is, I need to allow Him to do so and stop trying to cover it up and avoid His chisel. That wonderful device that, in the hand of a master-craftsman, is painstakingly creating an image of His Son in me. Oh that I would become more like Jesus on a daily basis.
May He Increase!
These bad things happened to you because I intend to work it together for your good (Romans 8).
These happened so that you would rely more on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1).
This happened so that the gold and silver of your faith would be refined (1 Peter 1).
This thorn is so that the power of Christ would be magnified in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12).
God cannot make plain all he is doing, because there are millions and millions and millions and millions of effects of every event in our lives, the good and the bad. God guides them all. They all have micro purposes and macro purposes. He cannot tell us all of them because our brains can’t hold all of them.
Trust does not demand more than God has told us. And he has given us immeasurably precious promises that he is in control of all things and only does good to his children. And he has given us a very thick book where we can read story after story after story about how he rules for the good of his people.
Amen Ike! Patrick Morley’s book has really helped me see suffering in a new way. He listed dozens of verses that made it very plain that suffering is part of the Christian calling.