Suffering' For MEEEsus!

He made the moon for the seasons;
The sun knows the place of its setting.
You appoint darkness and it becomes night,
In which all the beasts of the forest prowl about.
The young lions roar after their prey
And seek their food from God.
When the sun rises they withdraw
And lie down in their dens.
Man goes forth to his work
And to his labor until evening.
O LORD, how many are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your possessions.Whose possessions is the earth full of? The Lord’s. If you lost everything tomorrow, and you understood plainly in that moment that God willed it so, would you truly share in Job’s sentiments? “He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.’ Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God” (Job 1:21-22). Job had just lost what the world would call “everything”, his livelihood, his possessions, even his children! Through it all, he knew God had His hands in it. We may rightly conclude that God willed it, knowing how He personally unleashed Satan onto Job, the one the Lord, Himself, described as “no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man” (Job 1:8).Most Christians “fight the good fight” for all the wrong causes, it seems. Oh, they’ll suggest they are “sufferin’ fer JEEESus”, but they are liars. I wonder what it would look like if the average “Christian” was to make a pie chart out of the time/energy spent during their week on material gains versus the time/energy spent on spiritual matters. If they’re honest, most will have to say they’ve been “sufferin’ fer MEEEsus”.The meaningful question here isn’t whether this happens or not (it does), it’s “why?” Why does man spend so much of his precious life on earth striving after things that have no eternal value whatsoever??? And once a person latches onto that perspective, what are some of the other manifestations in their life? Do they love more and fear less, or fear more and love less? Consider 1 John 4:18 and you’ll have your answer. Love your life and you will fear losing it.Jesus Christ was constantly trying to give His disciples the Heavenly perspective. It’s the same one that looked down upon Job as he was suffering undeservedly. It’s the same one that His Father had while His Son died an agonizing death on His Cross. It’s the same one we ought to have right now. So, the question remains, “Why are we so hung up on material things when they are merely temporary…props in a theater, where the world is the stage and we, merely playactors?” Physical death to a believer means promotion! “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).Darn it!!! - WHAT…ARE…WE…SO…AFRAID…OF?!!!Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.The simple answer to our recurring question is…are you ready for this?…NOTHING!!! That’s right, absolutely nothing. With the proper perspective, we are set free from fear, for “there is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18) and “God is love” (1 John 4:8), so a true believer has every right to feel invincible, because they are. What’s the very worst thing that could happen (so says the world)? You die? Big deal. You get to be with Jesus and shed “the body of this death” (Romans 7:24).If you fear losing a grip on your life, you fear a shadow. In fact, losing your life is something Jesus spoke of specifically. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it” (Luke 9:24). Why hold onto something that’s dead to you? At salvation, your old life was put in the grave, new things have come. If you’re truly born again and saved, even death has no power over you. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things” (Romans 8:31-32)?All of this makes no sense to the world. Yet it makes perfect sense to God.For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.Jesus labored daily for the sake of His disciples, knowing their fleshly weaknesses in this area. They were constantly failing to maintain the godly perspective, just like we continue to do nowadays. Until we lose this body, this battle will rage on (Romans 7). In the interim, may we find encouragement simply knowing that the early disciples, even the pillars of the early church, the Apostles, failed miserably time and again. We are imperfect creatures made perfect in Christ. We drag around a dead man with us, which tends to hinder our progress. Nonetheless, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). If God says He’ll sanctify us, then He certainly will (Philippians 1:6).Let us not forget what’s really important in this life. It’s not our next meal, for, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD’” (Matthew 4:4). It’s not our shelter, for, i (Matthew 8:20). The important things in life have literally nothing to do with the things the world will posture as important. In fact, they are diametrically opposed. The world sows fear whenever Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is threatened. The Lord sows Himself, love, which transcends worldly preoccupations. May our perspectives be changed the way Jesus fought to change those of His disciples in the early church.And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” 

But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up? How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.Jesus taught His disciples to focus on the things that really matter in this life, to understand the limitations of the human mind, to see past all the lies. His gift to His disciples was His perspective. It’s the same gift believers are given as God sanctifies us experientially.So, the next time you run out of butter for your morning toast, thank God for the toast instead of complaining about it being dry. The next time your kid misses the game-winning shot, give them a hug instead of a lecture. The next time your boss gets on your nerves, be grateful you have a job. Never allow such things to distract you. Perspective is everything, my friends. This truly is “God’s country”, and He gives and takes when and how He wants, regardless of your flesh’s reaction. There’s nothing to fear, nothing to sweat, only faith, hope, and love…and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love your life, whether you’re full or hungry right now. And don’t focus on the bread, focus on the Giver, the One who gives Himself, the Bread of Life.“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”Love in Christ,Ed Collins