Suffering King (Wrapped in Grace)

Hi. I am so glad you found your way to my little corner on this massive web. Hope you are encouraged while you are here. I just started a new series called Wrapped in Grace talking about what God is like and therefore who we are. I have recently done series on Using Social Media to Glorify God, Heavenand creation showing us what God is like. And if you blog, come on by on Friday and link up a post for Faith Filled Friday. 

I was talking with my uncle one time about the things we aren't going to get to do in heaven. I mentioned wont get to share the gospel or see people choose Christ and then he said, "And we wont get to suffer." He actually used the words "get to" in the same sentence as "suffer", can you believe that! Maybe you're thinking he must not really know suffering. But the year my uncle said this, his oldest son had shattered his skull (but survived and is not doing great) in a car accident, had a grandbaby die and his youngest son has cerebral palsy. If you read Gabe's story, you'll be amazed. My uncle knows suffering yet he chooses to see suffering in this life as a get to. Wow!

His attitude reminds me of Jesus, who viewed and talked about suffering in the same way. He saw the end, enabling Him to walk through pain with joy. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2 

How crazy is it that the King over all, King of the entire universe would suffer. So often when we suffer we cry out, "I don't deserve this!" But Jesus, the King of creation, ruler of everything, He truly doesn't deserve to suffer.  

Again my mind is blown. 
God 
chose
to suffer.

So who are we really?

If we were created by a God who chooses to suffer, surely that same God would allow the same for us. The gift of suffering. When Paul wrote Philippians from jail he said, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him in his death..." Suffering allows us to have a special bond with Jesus that can not happen any other way since, "a brother is born of adversity." Prov. 17:17.  

Jesus promised that in this world we will have trouble but He didn't end there. He followed it by saying, "But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 And "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Rom. 8:18

God is in this with us. He will always walk through it with us and all of Him, all of His character and everything true about Him will be true of Him still, even in the midst of suffering. "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." Psalm 71:20-21  

Free from comfort and painlessness does not always equal good. And suffering and pain do not always equal bad. Lord, help us be content in any circumstance with our eyes fixed on you enabling us to endure with joy. 

I'm linked up with the beautiful ladies at The Better Mom, Pause on the Path, Create with Joy, Finding Heaven,  Women Living Well, Good Morning Girls, Deep Roots at Home, ExtraOrdinary-Ordinary,  Growing Home Blog, A Holy Experience.