Do you recall that verse in I Peter 4 wherein we are commanded to rejoice in suffering?
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
via 1 Peter 4:12-14 NASB;CJB – Share the Sufferings of Christ – Bible Gateway.
I read something today that is helping me with this. The Sweet Side of Suffering by M. Esther Lovejoy.
She said on page 76 of her book:
“He was reminding me that we had a common bond in suffering. He too had experienced betrayal and rejection. He too had been misunderstood and misrepresented. He too had suffered because of someone else’s sin. While my suffering could never come close to the injustice and agony Christ experienced, in those moments I felt the wonderful bond of shared suffering with Him.
Those moments changed me forever. Christ not only understood my pain, He was inviting me to share in His. I began to weep, not for myself, but for my Savior, for all He had willingly endured for me. Christ chose to suffer. I didn’t. I would never have chosen this! And suddenly the love that would prompt such a choice washed over my own pain and brought relief. My Savior and I were one in a new way. We shared the common bond of suffering.”
Is it just me or is that a tender and, yes, even inviting way to rejoice in suffering? Intimacy with Yeshua; sharing a common bond with Him – could anything be better?
Day 142 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.
Kathie
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Oh yes! There is a sweet side to suffering and it does bring us ever so much closer to our beloved Savior.
To share in His sufferings is not for the weak as His sufferings were horrific but the sweet side of knowing what He did for me gives me the strength and courage to press on in my moments of suffering.
It brings me to a place where as she said, I am one with Christ. What an honor to share in His sufferings! What joy to my soul to know Him on that level! What a privilege to know Him and share in His sufferings!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and that includes suffering.
Oh Lord, help me to embrace the sweet side of suffering!!
Beautiful! Thank you! ♥️
Suffering can be redemptive, a privilege just knowing Yeshua was not exempt from it. Rejoicing in the midst of trial, instead of complaining. “Sharing a common bond” – what a beautiful way of looking at it. Thank you.
Thank you Lidia for stopping by and sharing with me. I appreciate you. Blessings my Friend.