INCONVENIENCE: WILL YOU SURRENDER IT ALL TO GOD OR NOT?
“…How can you know me, if you don’t share in my suffering?...”
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As a young woman, I sat in the congregation, with my legs crossed and listened as the preacher talked about “suffering.” I remember thinking, “I ain’t suffering for nobody.” However, I have since swallowed those words, seemingly, a thousand times. I have suffered in my lifetime.
I asked God why did he give me certain situations and circumstances to suffer through and he said, “How can you know me unless you share in my suffering?” He also said, “Pensacola, you are my heart and the mouthpiece for my heart.”
Two important things here: I was called to be the mouthpiece for God’s heart and it involved getting to know him. Part of getting to know him meant I had to share in the fellowship of his suffering. “I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…”(Philippians 3:10 NIV). “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…”(Philippians 3:10 KJV).
I was not thrilled with the calling on my life and I certainly wasn’t thrilled to discover I would have to suffer as a result of the calling. Nobody likes to suffer. The word “suffer” gives me the chills, because suffering brings up so many unpleasant situations or memories.
I can’t even believe God wanted me, of all people, to write this book on “suffering.” To be honest I didn’t want to and I didn’t see the purpose. However God explained it. My book TRANSFORMING LOVE was about the reality of God’s love; my book TRANSFORMING INTIMACY was about the PROOF of God’s love; and this book, TRANSFORMING SUFFERING is about the PROOF of your love for God.
TRANSFORMING LOVE, the reality of God’s love is this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
TRANSFORMING INTIMACY, the proof of God’s love is this: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (substitute, intervention) for our sins.” (1 John 4:10 KJV).
TRANSFORMING SUFFERING, the proof of your love: “…that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29 KJV).
You prove your love for God every time you TRUST Him or “keep his commandments.” “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Once I was telling my young teenage son to do something and he looked at me and said, “Mom, I’m not scared of you. I’m only doing it because I love you.” I didn’t realize how profound that was until years later.
There is a wide range of topics on suffering, but I will be talking about suffering as it relates to the covenant relationship with God. No where can we experience or share in the sufferings of Christ more than in our relationships.
Jesus suffered to bring us into the relationship with God we are privy to today and it was costly as well as sacrificial. “For Christ …. died for sins ONCE for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18 NASB).“… Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And ...he was buried, and …he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV).
Christ’s death was PROOF of God’s love for you. Again, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son...” (1 John 4:10 KJV).
However, what is the PROOF of your love for God? “If you love me, you will keep (TRUST them) my commandments” (John 14:15). “…Abraham believed God… his faith and his actions were working together…” (James 2:18-24 NIV).
The devil asked God in the book of Job: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.” (Job 1:7-12 NIV).
As long as life is honkey dory, we serve and praise God with everything we have, but that is not proof you love God. God knows whether you love him or not, but you, yourself, often don’t know it until you are challenged or tested.
Therefore, God allows you or even chooses you; to suffer, in order “… to prove [to you]…what [is in your own]…heart, whether [you]… wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2 KJV). Would I choose to SURRENDER it all to God's will and God's way?
When I fell in love, the initial reality of that love was like a fairytale to me and his love for me was enough proof to accept his hand in marriage. However, as time went on and the fairytale diminished I was challenged and tested in my love for him.
When
Prince Charming becomes Prince Not-so-Charming you have to ask a similar
question like Job. “…Shall we accept good
from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10 NIV). I could ask this question in another way: "...Shall we accept convenience from God, and not inconvenience?..."
In my fairytale relationship will I simply accept the convenient parts and not the inconvenient parts? The inconvenient parts of relationships are broad, varied, and often painful; and no one would actually volunteer to experience them either. In marriage vows, the couple traditionally said, “...for better or for worst…” Who really imagines what “...for worst…” may entail?
We live in a fallen world and trouble or inconvenience is everywhere, especially in our relationships. There are no perfect people, not you or me, and that fact alone should tell you “inconvenience” will be a part of the relational experience. How many times have you hurt someone, whether intentional or unintentional?
In relationships, some people suffer through the inconvenience of infidelity, sickness, death, dysfunction, insecurity, emotional lack, disrespect, abuse, mental illness, low-esteem, jealousy, bad attitudes, drama kings and queens, attention hogs, selfishness, secrets, and a host of other things.
Without a doubt, inconvenience in relationships will, “…prove [to you]…what [is in your own]…heart, whether [you]…wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2 KJV).
In your role as husband, wife, mother, daughter, son, co-worker, aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend, or believer; inconvenience will proof your authentic heart.
When inconvenience comes and it will come: Will you keep your marriage vows? Will you continue your parental duties? Will you remain a reliable aunt or uncle? Will you endure the friendship? Will you keep God’s commandments?
I have learned being “inconvenience” is not necessarily a negative condition, but may, in fact, be a positive opportunity. If nothing else, “inconvenience” will lead to the road of authentic-ness, because it will force you to evaluate your OWN heart.
If the heart is deceitful above all things, then “inconvenience” will reveal it and allow it to be purged out! “If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him …You must purge the evil from among you.” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21 NIV).
The reason LIFE is full of conveniences - some of them are good - is to prevent people from going certain difficulties or discomfort. However, without a balance of convenient and inconvenient a person can lean too much on one side and not the other. Too much convenience can make you lazy and too much inconvenient can make you a worn-out workaholic.
God loves his people and he has proved his love for them. Even during experiences of inconvenience, God is proving his love by giving his people the opportunity to prove their love for Him. The opportunity to prove their love for him is about “keeping his commandment” (John 14:15 KJV). WHY? Because, “Keeping his commandments” ultimately results in multiple blessings for his people!
God often provides the opportunity for his people to prove their love for him through trials, tribulations, or inconveniences. God wants them to become an authentic, loving participant in their relationship with Him through Christ.
Suffering through inconveniences gets to the heart of the matter. Therefore, it’s really not simply the trouble you face or the details of that trouble, but it’s your heart “in” the trouble. Who are you when trouble or inconveniences come into your life? Who are you when you suffer through difficulties, hardships, or things that make life uncomfortable?
“...God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart…”(1 Samuel 16:7 NASB).
I’m sorry for whatever you are going through or for what you’ve been through. Suffering or life's inconveniences are NOT pleasant experiences and the process, whatever it may entail, is NOT or is NEVER easy or comfortable, and usually, afterwards, you will FOREVER be changed in one way or another.
Yet, if God has ALLOWED you this experience choose to trust and depend upon HIM as you go through the SUFFERING or INCONVENIENCE.
Though what you went through or are going through may NOT feel or be good, God does promise it will WORK TOGETHER for good. TRUST HIM. DEPEND upon HIM. You will find your greatest LOSS was your flesh or sinful nature and your GAIN was your authentic new creation self!
“…He (she) that loseth his (her) life for my sake shall find it…” (Matthew 10:39 KJV).
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