Suffering. What a word. Such a deep, reaching mix of emotion and contemplation comes with its mention................................Suffering..............................................Suffering.............................It challenges our sense of comfort and victory. The truth of it seems foreign to many. So un-American. And yet, so familiar, too. I mean, haven't we all? Suffered?...............Suffering. As children of the Most High God, we are incomplete without it. It is part of our training. Part of our forming. In it, we experience the heat of transformation. Through it, we produce the warmth of His character. Suffering serves as a holy wick, drawing forth the oil of His Presence deposited deep within our souls. Sucking up the reserves in the bottom of our tanks. Fueling the fire that purges us of every and anything counter-Christ. The same anointing that empowers us, also set us up to be enlightened in the flames of suffering. Encouraged yet? ;-) But, then, that's the beauty of it. When the wick is lit, suffering draws up the oil, and the vessel drains, becoming clean, ready for a fresh fill. Through suffering, we join Jesus. We become like Him in suffering, so that we can stake a claim to the power of His resurrection. How much suffering? I don't know. How much silt is in your tank? How much in mine? What is the sludge to oil ratio of our vessels? Only He knows. The good news is that we don't have to know. All we have to do is let our lamp burn. And there's more good news. While we are burning, and the sludge of our lives is being incinerated through suffering, we still get to be the light of the world! Oh, yes, my friends. That privilege isn't just reserved for our shiny moments of joy and success. God isn't waiting till we are perfect to use us. He puts His treasure in earthen vessels and is completely pleased to purge us as we go. It's the ultimate supernatural win-win. Jesus gets the glory, we get in on being transformed into His image, and the world gets to see how God changes people, loving them from the inside out. Oh, how rich the beauty of Christ's sufferings! And oh, how precious is the suffering of His dear ones. That's you and I. It's okay. You're not alone. And it's beautiful. Don't run from it. Don't scorn it. Just live it. Just grow. Just burn. Quietly, steadily burn. All the while....suffering.
Forever panning for gold,
Chris Liotta
Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com
© 2016 Chris Liotta
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