"I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world" (John 16:33 CEV).
"Americans don't have a good theology of suffering" (Rick McKinley, Pastor at Imago Dei Church, Portland, Oregon).
I recently heard a story about an African pastor who had many of his family members and church members murdered by an angry, Islamic mob. Although he fled the country and spent a season in the States, he later returned to his native land. He went around forgiving everyone and has become a reconciling force in his nation.
While he was in the States he told an American pastor, "I feel sorry for American Christians. They are so rich in things, yet so poor in the things of God."
I think he is right in his appraisal. We are so concerned about our comfort and convenience. We spend enough on bottled water to give clean water to the nations of the world who have none. We spend enough on dandruff shampoo to give needed medicines to children dying from dysentery in third world countries. While Christians gather under trees in Africa and meet secretly in Chinese homes, we complain about the air conditioning in our million dollar sanctuaries.
But the truth is that God cares more for our character than our comfort. May we be challenged by our international brothers and sisters in Christ who are enduring persecution. May we be challenged by the suffering saints of old. May we be challenged by the Christ who left the riches of heaven and became our sin offering.
May we choose to be uncomfortable so that others may be comforted.
Good insight on this subject. I have blogged on this before myself, because we all at times have tried to deal with God the same way society has trained us to be. In society it is "you do for me, I do for you, or if you don't do for me then I will not do for you." However being a Christ follower we are called to be different than what society demands from us. We are called to help others, love others, forgive others and fellowship with others. The message of Grace has gotten lost in the shuffle of the american church or placed on the back burner due to more concentration of making sure members follow the rules of the church or making sure they get bigger than the next church. Everything comes down to grace and grace alone. We will never understand or grasp the importance of making ourselves uncomfortable without first grasping the concept of grace. Without grace we are just a loud noise when we witness to others. Without grace churches will cease to have influence, christians will have no influence and our purpose in life loses all it's meaning.
http://linuxheels.blogspot.com
Posted by: Mike Massey | October 23, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Thanks for the feedback Mike. I agree with the necessity of grace. For me grace has been revealed in my life more by subtraction than addition. It's a painful kind of math, but as I decrease, grace increases.
Posted by: Gary Combs | October 23, 2007 at 11:12 PM
Yeah I totally understand the painful kind of math you speak of. That was the hardest part of all for me, having less so others could have more. For me my God was my image of wealth, my stuff, my desire to be better, smarter and more respected that the next person. So for God to reveal to me that I had to completely be content in Him for everything and only get my validation from Him, it was then, I was able to embrace the joy of giving and watching the joy it brings to others. So yes true grace will involve a lot of subtraction on our part, but added to us is "future grace", the promise of eternity. Momma said math would come in handy one day!!!!!
http://linuxheels.blogspot.com
Posted by: Mike Massey | October 24, 2007 at 01:45 AM
Momma was right!
Posted by: Gary Combs | October 24, 2007 at 10:52 AM