While in prayer this morning, I was so aware of the pitfalls of the flesh to seek glory, so before writing a blog, I began to repent of any vain glory. Thinking at the time that everything I am to do is to be only for the glory of God, I prayed for help.
But then, a thought flooded my mind and startled my heart; “Paul gloried.” So, I followed that thought down the rabbit hole.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 KJV)
I am here trying my best to be so humble before God and the Holy Spirit interrupts my self-flagellation and points me to our mentor in Christ, the Apostle Paul.
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (Ephesians 3:17 KJV)
We are instructed to follow or imitate Paul and anyone who walks after his example. What was the example of Paul’s glorying or boasting?
APOSTLE PAUL’S EXAMPLE
Paul states in 2 Cor 12:5 that even though he would glory in another man’s great experiences and supernatural spiritual revelations, he would not glory in that for himself. We can however see that Paul did indeed have a great revelation of Christ, starting with the Damascus Road experience and his writing most of the letters to the church.
Any man that wrote Romans 8 had much to glory about. But Paul said that because of his much revelations a thorn in the flesh was given unto to him to keep him humble (2 Cor 12:7).
Paul did however glory; he gloried and boasted in his sufferings for Christ sake.
Where have we suffered for Christ? This question is not meant to shame or condemn, but to encourage and inspire. We need to see our hardships because of Christ and the gospel, as opportunities for glory.
It would be profitable for us in the church to see and cherish our sufferings like Paul. Let us not put our energies and prayers on a focus of comforts for the flesh, but willingly embrace the hardships that will inevitably enter our lives. They come to us for our glory.
I am thinking now of some hero in the military that has experienced great acts of valor in battle, he is presented with a purple heart to wear on his chest. The purple heart is a type of glory that he received for being a brave soldier. The display of the medal is a wonderful tool that can inspire other young recruits to be brave in the face of battle.
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:3)
Saints, we too can get ‘medals’; we get them in our suffering well for Christ. We might not yet be called upon to be martyred, but are we faced with a difficult marriage? Are we faced with a harsh boss? Are we faced with being single? Whatever we are faced with in our day to day lives, let us face it as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
The world has a ‘wisdom’ to offer us, that worldly wisdom will always point us to protect self and pursue personal comfort. Divorce and abortion are examples of worldly wisdom. But the truth is that divorce will only bring another kind of suffering as does abortion.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:14 ESV)
The life that we care called to live as Christians is IMPOSSIBLE IN THE FLESH.
but you are not in the flesh if the Spirit of God is in you (Romans 8:9a)
We are now in Christ, seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6, 10) and we need to see ourselves positioned there in order to be valiant in the face of suffering. We should see our hardships as opportunities to allow Christ to be magnified in our bodies. We are the redeemed of God, purchased by Christ and fashioned unto good works.
There is no glory if we suffer as a result of our evil doings, but if we do what is righteous and then suffer as a result, we do good works, for here is where we are called (1Peter 2:19-21).
Believers in Christ have received the Spirit of God which gives us the grace to walk as a follower of Jesus. We may not get it perfect every time, but let us not just hide behind the favor of the grace that we have in Christ, rather let us be empowered by that grace to be imitators of Jesus and Paul.
DEACON STEPHEN’S EXAMPLE
Some saints may say, that Paul was an apostle with great spiritual gifts that we don’t have, not considering that Paul would have known this meanwhile still instructing us to follow his example. However, we are helped by the example of a mere deacon named Stephen. Stephen was not an apostle and he was faithful until death. He was stoned for the gospel and as he was dying, he asked God to forgive those who were smashing his body with rocks (Acts 7:60).
Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). We see how he followed the example of Jesus on the cross by forgiving his attackers. I don’t believe that in the midst of his torturous death he remembered the account of what Jesus said on the cross and made a decision to pray a similar prayer; but it was the Spirit of Christ in him that filled his heart and mouth with forgiveness and intercession. It was Christ in him that cried out for the father to forgive the offenders.
CHRIST IN US
Christ in us is our only hope to suffer well, not our great abilities to be brave; but it is Christ in us to inspire and accomplish the good works (Philippians 2:12-13, Col 1:27).
Let us raise the bar of how we think about and walk through suffering. Let us look to Christ and the examples of those that followed Him. Maybe we will find that we need to cry out for the Holy Spirit to fill us if we deem that there is no power to follow Jesus.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2 Corinthians 4:17)
May God help us today to arm ourselves with a renewed mind toward suffering, we would not want to be robbed of the glory of having the power of Christ rest upon us.
