Suffering

No one likes to suffer. Especially when we feel like we are living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. We wonder why things happen. It's hard to understand at times why trials come our way.

Yesterday, from beginning to end, I was reminded of the suffering that Jesus walked through in his lifetime here on earth. I'd like to share a passage of scripture, one I taught to my Sunday school class yesterday morning.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Isaiah 53:3‭-‬9 KJV

Despised, rejected, sorrow, grief, stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded, bruised, chastised, oppressed. All words that speak loudly of the things Jesus faced. Yet, he opened not his mouth. He endured every hardship WILLINGLY, knowing that his suffering had an expected end. He knew that his life had a purpose. He was our living sacrifice, who walked among us, as one of us. Perfect and without blemish, but still he endured every moment of suffering without complaint. My, what an example he has set for us.

It's so easy for us to take our eyes off of the cross when WE are the ones walking through similar situations. Even though we will NEVER come close to enduring the trials Jesus walked through, we still can become distracted by the trials of this life. During those times is when we can take a look back over Jesus' time on earth, and realize that even though we may be facing some difficult circumstances, they all pale in comparison to what Jesus faced. All for OUR sakes.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45 KJV

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

John 10:10‭-‬11 KJV

He didn't come to this earth for his own benefit. Just as we should not do anything that we do for our own purposes. He came so that we may have LIFE and have it MORE ABUNDANTLY. Not in slavery to sin. Not in bondage to the things of this world, but in FREEDOM. To live our lives in pursuit of HIM. The one who came and sacrificed his life, just for us.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 KJV

There is NO greater love. Regardless of the THINGS we use to try and fill that void, there is none other but Jesus himself that can satisfy. He so desires us to live in the freedom that he came and was crucified for us to walk in. It is ultimately our choice. A choice we must make, each and every day of our lives. To get up, take up our cross, and live our lives in a way that mirrors our Lord Jesus.

His life and walk while dwelling among us, is an eternal example for us to live by. It will never be easy, but at the end of it all, lies great victory. For when we see our Savior, face to face, what a glorious day that will be. Every mountain and every valley will ALL be worth it.