Daily Devotional for Thursday, September 24

The Reaction of Suffering

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body,” 2 Corinthians 4:10.
On an old show, two of the characters performed a skit and song entitled, “Gloom, despair and agony on me.” In the song, the characters lament that their list of woes was very long. It was pretty funny. It was also a real reflection of the lives some people live. It seems that some have nothing but “bad luck.” Did you notice the quotation marks? That is because in the life of a Christian, there is no such thing as either good or bad luck. The Christian’s life is not random but actively observed and managed by God. That does not mean bad things will never happen to believers; it just means those things are not random accidents.
Paul was familiar with unfortunate life events. From the moment he believed on the road to Damascus, his life was nothing but trouble. He was shipwrecked, flogged, jailed and ultimately killed for his faith. If anyone had the right to sing that song, it was the apostle Paul. Yet, while Paul often told others about his trials, he never felt sorry for himself. What a testimony!
Paul knew that his trials were just a way for him to identify with his Lord’s suffering. He also knew that his reaction to them reflected the new life he had been given in Jesus.
People are watching us. How we react when life is tough can either reflect our faith in Jesus or not. What is your life reflecting?

Just a Thought
If you are not having any suffering at all as a result of your faith, you might not be living that faith out as fully as you should.

Wally Fry