The Crosses We Bear 

   “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.” (Col 1: 24) 

   Of all the questions people have about why they should believe in Christianity, I think suffering is the one that most often comes up.  They simply can’t accept that a loving, forgiving God would allow suffering.  But Christ suffered willingly and spoke of it as His Father’s will.  If even the Son of God was to experience suffering, why should His followers be exempt?

   Paul’s writings can be difficult, and this is one that I have often wondered about.  He can’t be saying that Jesus’ sufferings were insufficient, that would be blasphemous.  What could possibly be lacking in the afflictions of Chirst?

   One of my friends recently offered a thought that made a lot of sense to me.  Jesus suffered for the church, His own body.  When we suffer, we can also prayerfully offer those sufferings to Jesus for the church, in a sense adding our sufferings to His.  This idea also goes to help understand why there is suffering in the world.  It is to give us an opportunity to join our sufferings with those of Christ.

   We are to take part in His sufferings.  He told us, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt 16: 24).  I believe this means that we are to follow Him in accepting the suffering that a corrupt and sinful world imposes upon on us, offering that suffering as a gift of thanksgiving to Christ for the suffering He endured for us.  I believe this is true even to the point of following Him all the way to Calvary and the cross if need be.

 

Lord, help us endure our sufferings as You endured Yours.  Let us offer our pains and sorrows to You as a prayer of thanksgiving for all You have done for us.  Amen