Holy Scripture does us absolutely no good whatsoever if we do not learn and remember the lessons that it teaches us.
One of the most important lessons that God teaches us that we must learn and remember is found in the words of the Lord in Isaiah 55:8-9
“…My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Why is this teaching so important? Because things in life rarely turn out the way we want them to. Things don’t happen the way that we think they should. If we don’t have a faith built upon the belief that God’s ways are higher and better than ours, we won’t have a faith at all.
For instance, it’s very interesting to me that some people can accept that Jesus had to unjustly suffer and die the terrible death of a criminal, yet accept no amount of suffering whatsoever themselves.
I’ve even heard the false teaching, “Jesus suffered so we don’t have to.” That’s true in the sense of eternal suffering in hell, but false in every other regard.
Jesus Himself taught in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” And the disciples rejoiced in Acts 5:41, …that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And the Lord said to Ananias regarding Paul in Acts 9:16, …I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake. And then Paul taught the Church in Rome in 8:16-17 that, The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. And the Church at Philippi Paul taught in Philippians 1:29, For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, and the Church at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 1:5, This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. And Peter taught in 1 Peter 3:14, if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.
This is but a small sampling of New Testament teaching regarding the suffering that Christians are told they will endure. Why share that? I have a couple of reasons.
First, I share this teaching because many people who call themselves by the name “Christian” today reject it and teach the rejection of suffering. To do so is to ignore or rewrite the teaching of the Bible.
Second, I share this teaching because it doesn’t make sense. A part of the reason, not the only, but a part of the reason why Christians suffer is to test our genuineness. It’s one thing to accept the teaching when things are going well for us. After all, in our estimation, when things are going well, we believe that things are going exactly as they should. However, when hard times come in any variety of ways, we learn what we really believe.
In hard times we either believe that God’s ways are higher than our ways or we reject God. In hard times we either believe Romans 8:28, God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, or we reject God.
If we truly believe that God is good and that His ways are ways that are better than mine, even if those ways involve personal pain and suffering, then we can rest assured that our faith is real.
Let us learn and remember that thing that made the least sense in all of human history, Jesus suffering and dying on the cross, was the better and higher way of God.
His suffering was not in vain; Through Christ’s suffering, He gained the greatest of victories. Your suffering is also not in vain. Though you cannot understand it, you can trust that it is for your ultimate good.
Much Love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
