Together # 60
A Together for Perseverance
A Together for Perseverance
Face & Endure Hardship Together
Help one another with the difficulties of the Christian life. Troubles are to be expected, but they are much easier to face together.
Rom 5:3-5; Phil 1:29; Heb 10:35-39; Heb 12:2-3; James 1:2-4;
1 Peter 1:6-9; l Peter 4:12-19; 1 Peter 5:10-11
1 Peter 1:6-9; l Peter 4:12-19; 1 Peter 5:10-11
Monday, Week One
Many hardships of daily life and serving the Lord are too difficult for individuals to handle alone. Knowing this, God commands us to face trouble and hardship together. Some of life’s normal difficulties and ministry assignments will overwhelm individual Christians but be easier for those same individuals in their biblically obedient friendships, families and marriages.
It appears that 3 of the Togethers are quite similar, yet different in emphasis. “Face and Endure Hardship Together” has to do with the difficulties of everyday living and serving God, not those stemming from someone’s sin. “Carry One Another’s Burdens” relates to helping one another face the consequences of our sins. And “Face Discipline and Judgment Together” focuses on cooperating with God’s redemptive process in each of us and, occasionally, all of us corporately.
Troubles and hardships are normal for everyone. Once Jesus entered into ministry He was constantly facing trouble and hardship. Any Christian who does not face trouble or hardship over a month’s time is probably not following Jesus very closely.
Unlike the non-Christian world, which often teaches that each person must deal with his or her own problems of life independently, God says that Christians must face trouble and hardship together. The kingdom of heaven has a very effective way of handling the inevitable hardships of life in a sinful culture. Every Christian’s more serious hardships are to be handled with help from other Christians.
This Together relates to hardships that are a normal part of life. Serious illness, lack of employment, raising difficult children, problems with non-Christian family members, car trouble, and a host of other heartaches and troubles are not necessarily linked to sin, but they are still hardships to be faced together.
Even before there was sin in the world, Adam and Eve were to face together the hardship of not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was not difficult until Satan made it so. Before the devil turned it into something else, it was easy to just eat from the thousands of other trees. Once the serpent turned God’s request into a perceived deprivation, it was a hardship too tough for one perfect individual to face alone. Unfortunately, Eve tried to face this hardship without Adam’s help. The difficult choice presented by the devil needed both parents of the human race to solve together.
Christian friendships, Christian families and Christian marriages have great power to deal with hardships of all kinds that larger fellowships of believers do not. That is why God tells us to face and endure hardship together. Otherwise, there is the danger that an individual become overwhelmed. We do it also because God told us in Scripture to handle hardship this way.
A Christian who closely follows Jesus has difficulties that we correctly label “our crosses to bear.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matt 16:24
“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Matt 10:38
“Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matt 16:24
“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Matt 10:38
Jesus had a very hard thing to do in dying the painful death of crucifixion to redeem us. It was a hardship not emanating from sin, as our Lord was without sin. And, it was not a discipline or judgment of God. It was a ministry of God’s love for us.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
But Jesus did not want to face arrest alone. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus wanted three of his disciples to be with him as he prayed. He poured out his heart to God about being overwhelmed. Just being with his Father was not enough for Jesus. God did not mind this because He decided in the Garden of Eden that sinless Adam would need a helper. That’s the way God wanted it to be, and Jesus as human involved his disciples in helping him in the challenges of life and the difficulties of ministry.
Long-term hardship must be faced by a person with his or her inner circle of Christian friends, family and spouse. One example of this would be a long term illness which has no promise of recovery. After the situation has been diagnosed as chronic and terminal, waiting can be unbearable for the one who is stricken and for caregivers. God places the responsibility of facing these hardships squarely on other Christians.
In the rare cases where a person’s organizational church has taught that everyone needs Christian friends and family to live the Christian life with them, such hardship will be faced and endured within biblical guidelines. Unfortunately, in most cases Christians must do this without church leadership.
Christian friendship groups dedicated to Jesus are invaluable when there is loss of a loved one. Many people are available right after the death. But a year later, when the real loneliness and isolation begins to persist, there will only be Christian friends and family around. The organizational church will have done its initial responsibilities, but the long term help will be the privileged responsibility of the grieving person’s inner Christian circle.
Let’s always remember to bring in those Christians we are closest to when things of life and service get a little too difficult.
Wednesday, Week One
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Long-term hardship must be faced by a person with his or her inner circle of Christian friends, family and spouse. One example of this would be a long term illness which has no promise of recovery. After the situation has been diagnosed as chronic and terminal, waiting can be unbearable for the one who is stricken and for caregivers. God places the responsibility of facing these hardships squarely on other Christians.
In the rare cases where a person’s organizational church has taught that everyone needs Christian friends and family to live the Christian life with them, such hardship will be faced and endured within biblical guidelines. Unfortunately, in most cases Christians must do this without church leadership.
Christian friendship groups dedicated to Jesus are invaluable when there is loss of a loved one. Many people are available right after the death. But a year later, when the real loneliness and isolation begins to persist, there will only be Christian friends and family around. The organizational church will have done its initial responsibilities, but the long term help will be the privileged responsibility of the grieving person’s inner Christian circle.
Let’s always remember to bring in those Christians we are closest to when things of life and service get a little too difficult.
Wednesday, Week One
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Lester was someone everyone looked to for help because he was outgoing and had a strong personality. However, Lester would get irritated that his plans were often interrupted by the crises of others. He even became less outgoing to those in his church who had economic problems. They were the ones who always had something break with no money for repairs. Lester seemed to always be fixing someone’s refrigerator or washing machine.
Ron saw his friend Lester’s frustration with being approached so often to help with the mechanical troubles of others. Ron himself was not at all skilled that way, but knew he could use the education. Yet, something else was in the back of his mind. He knew that the Holy Spirit was trying to give him counsel. Soon he understood the message was that helping others with their troubles was what Jesus did all the time. Study of the Bible showed Ron that Christians are to face and endure hardship together. Lester was doing this by repairing things for others. In turn, Ron could face and endure with Lester his hardship of helping others. He was excited to see this as a chance to become more like Jesus, and help Lester see this also. Ron asked if he could go along and be Lester’s helper as he helped others. This lifted some of Lester’s burden because he enjoyed his friendship with Ron. Eventually Ron learned a lot and could even repair household appliances on his own to give Lester time for other things. |
Perhaps the case might be made that Jesus did not need to bring others into the difficult challenges and hardships he faced. He could have just been training his disciples when he asked them to help feed the thousands. But, other situations make it clear that our Lord let others help him. As stated earlier, immediately before his death, Jesus asked some of the disciples to help face and endure the horrible anticipation of being crucified.
To not bring others in to help us face difficult hardships is to deny them an opportunity to become more like Christ. God decided humans were to be interdependent, and we must not reject God’s decree. We need to respect his lordship and obey. We need to help and we need to ask for help.
Rebellion from the pride of self-sufficiency is quite sinful. Not bringing others in to help us when life gets tough is not just foolish, it elevates our way above God’s. It places the culture of this world above the kingdom of heaven where help is to be available, requested, and given.
Jesus is constantly asking us to do things for him. Every instruction in the Bible for our interaction with people is a request coming from Jesus. Jesus wants to help people who have troubles, whether from life’s difficulties or from Christian service. Our Lord wants our help in doing stressfully difficult things for those He wants to help. Following Jesus in this way is not easy. But, our Lord doesn’t worry about us being overwhelmed because He has made it perfectly clear in Scripture that we should have help from one another.
To help others with their difficulties, whether or not they ask us, is to be like Jesus . If they are struggling, it is our joy to face and endure hardship and trouble with them. Just like Jesus does with us.
Friday, Week One
Opportunity to Worship God
To not bring others in to help us face difficult hardships is to deny them an opportunity to become more like Christ. God decided humans were to be interdependent, and we must not reject God’s decree. We need to respect his lordship and obey. We need to help and we need to ask for help.
Rebellion from the pride of self-sufficiency is quite sinful. Not bringing others in to help us when life gets tough is not just foolish, it elevates our way above God’s. It places the culture of this world above the kingdom of heaven where help is to be available, requested, and given.
Jesus is constantly asking us to do things for him. Every instruction in the Bible for our interaction with people is a request coming from Jesus. Jesus wants to help people who have troubles, whether from life’s difficulties or from Christian service. Our Lord wants our help in doing stressfully difficult things for those He wants to help. Following Jesus in this way is not easy. But, our Lord doesn’t worry about us being overwhelmed because He has made it perfectly clear in Scripture that we should have help from one another.
To help others with their difficulties, whether or not they ask us, is to be like Jesus . If they are struggling, it is our joy to face and endure hardship and trouble with them. Just like Jesus does with us.
Friday, Week One
Opportunity to Worship God
Pastor Sanders really challenged his church last Sunday. It is going to be interesting to see how many people do not come to church next week.
After teaching in his sermon that Christians are to face and endure hardship together, and that this is worship that the church intends to do, he asked the congregation to do two things. First, he asked everyone to commit to helping others in the church with hard things that life has thrown at them. Then, he had deacons pass out slips of paper and asked anyone who had some difficulty they could use a little help with to jot it down and sign their name with their phone number. He explained that it could be some overwhelming safety improvement needed on their home, some difficult task they were doing for God, some difficult relationship problem that needed to be resolved, or anything else that seemed too hard. Then Pastor Sanders asked people to commit to helping others, even if they had their own troubles. If they were ready to commit themselves to Christ in this way, they were to also indicate that on the slip of paper. Next week people would have another opportunity to commit to obedience to the biblical command for the Lord’s church to face and endure hardship together. The deacons would then begin to match people up to hardships. Pastor Sanders explained that the church would do this twice a year, kind of like Spring and Fall cleaning at home. |
When we step in and help out with hardships and difficulties, we do the same thing God does constantly. Therefore, since it reflects back to Him his own character, it is worship.
To make the most of this opportunity to worship, let’s not just surround ourselves with Christians who have uncomplicated lives. Let’s actually seek out other Christians who are overburdened.
Since people seem to join churches with people just like themselves, those with the most difficult lives may be in churches filled with people also facing too many hard, uphill battles. Therefore, Christians with resources to limit hardships should be on the lookout at work or in their neighborhoods for Christians less well-off financially or overburdened in one way or another.
Yes, we will make our lives more difficult by facing the difficulties of others and enduring those depressing situations with them. But, it is worship of God and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can be extremely joyful. Don’t you think that it is more elevating to God to help others as He helps us than to sing a Christian praise and worship song? Fortunately, we can do both.
God has given many of us the strength and resources to face and endure the hardships of others with them. When we do so, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own endurance with us in the difficulties of life.
Monday, Week Two
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
To make the most of this opportunity to worship, let’s not just surround ourselves with Christians who have uncomplicated lives. Let’s actually seek out other Christians who are overburdened.
Since people seem to join churches with people just like themselves, those with the most difficult lives may be in churches filled with people also facing too many hard, uphill battles. Therefore, Christians with resources to limit hardships should be on the lookout at work or in their neighborhoods for Christians less well-off financially or overburdened in one way or another.
Yes, we will make our lives more difficult by facing the difficulties of others and enduring those depressing situations with them. But, it is worship of God and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can be extremely joyful. Don’t you think that it is more elevating to God to help others as He helps us than to sing a Christian praise and worship song? Fortunately, we can do both.
God has given many of us the strength and resources to face and endure the hardships of others with them. When we do so, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own endurance with us in the difficulties of life.
Monday, Week Two
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
The Gonzalez Family wanted to show their neighborhood the power of Jesus Christ in the lives of his people. They prayed about this in family meetings for a few months before they heard from the Lord how they were to go about this. They heard Jesus answer when one of the children brought up an idea that others said was in the back of their minds and on the tips of their tongues.
Here is what they did as a family dedicated to their Lord Jesus. First they invited to their home Christians they knew lived within a four-block area. After a barbeque, they sat down with adults and kids alike. Everyone in the Gonzalez family explained that Christians are distinguished by extraordinary love for one another. Then they invited the others to do something to show the neighborhood that they were clearly disciples of Jesus. They quoted John 13:35. Then they spoke of the Bible verses that instructed Christians to face and endure hardship together. This was what they proposed they all do together. Once people embraced this teaching of Scripture, the Gonzalez family asked if the other families would be willing to share the difficult things they were facing so that all the families could face them together. A second meeting was set up for those willing to be in on this neighborhood witness to Jesus Christ. At the second meeting, attended only by those willing to be a part, plans were made to tackle together their various difficulties. For example, one elderly couple was having a hard time getting rid of snow and ice on their driveway and sidewalks. That will now be taken care of by other families. Another couple needed time for their relationship to strengthen and the older couple agreed to watch their children every other Tuesday night. One working couple had trouble finding the time to tutor their son who was having trouble with math. This was taken off their hands by a neighbor who had time and a masters degree in engineering. Boy, did that neighborhood notice when these things came out in conversations over the year. Satan was not only defeated in his strategy to overwhelm the neighborhood believers and make them ineffective examples to their neighbors, but there has also been an increase in curiosity about Christianity. |
In his strategy to dishonor God, the devil creates mild to very painful troubles and hardships. We see this vividly in chapters one and two in the book of Job in the Bible. God ordered Satan to visit heaven, from which he was banned, so that God could humiliate the devil by showing him the righteousness of a man named Job. Satan’s response was to ask God’s permission to cause Job terrible suffering. From this we can see that the evil one’s attacks of hardship and trouble have the aim of showing God that his people, when it comes right down to it, do not really reverence Him.
While short of what Job faced, most of us who have tried to do something significant to bring God glory have felt the attack of Satan. Sadly, some of us, seeing that to stand up for God is likely to invite the devil’s opposition in the form of trouble and hardship, have resisted serving God earnestly. These Christians are passive participants in their churches, since it seems going to church services is hardly a threat to Satan.
But, we are not to lay low and hope the devil passes us by. We must do strong things for God. We must go out on a limb to help even those who seem to live in such a way as to invite trouble. That is what we are called to do if we are to follow Christ, for He said that he came to earth to destroy the works of the devil.
Also not okay is just merely being on the defense against anything of Satan. What we are called to do is be on the offensive, so that even the gates of hell cannot prevail, cannot keep us out from entering hellish situations and rescuing victims.
However, when we open ourselves up for trouble and hardship, we must be able to count on other Christians to face and endure the hardship with us. Likewise, we need to be sure to face and endure other’s hardships with them. This Together is critical if we are to fight evil and defeat the devil. We cannot look the other way. Nor can our closest Christian friends, families and spouses shirk their duty to stand with us in the face of trouble – or us with them.
Obviously, the relationships in large Christian fellowships can only do a little to help people face and endure hardship. That is why we Christians must develop our Christian friendships, our Christian families, and our Christian marriages to step up to the plate whenever there are serious troubles.
This Together is used often in the battle with the devil. Every time that together we endure to the end with someone facing normal difficulties of life or voluntary hardships in serving God – we defeat Satan. Because God is so precious to us, we should savor each and every victory.
Wednesday, Week Two
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
While short of what Job faced, most of us who have tried to do something significant to bring God glory have felt the attack of Satan. Sadly, some of us, seeing that to stand up for God is likely to invite the devil’s opposition in the form of trouble and hardship, have resisted serving God earnestly. These Christians are passive participants in their churches, since it seems going to church services is hardly a threat to Satan.
But, we are not to lay low and hope the devil passes us by. We must do strong things for God. We must go out on a limb to help even those who seem to live in such a way as to invite trouble. That is what we are called to do if we are to follow Christ, for He said that he came to earth to destroy the works of the devil.
Also not okay is just merely being on the defense against anything of Satan. What we are called to do is be on the offensive, so that even the gates of hell cannot prevail, cannot keep us out from entering hellish situations and rescuing victims.
However, when we open ourselves up for trouble and hardship, we must be able to count on other Christians to face and endure the hardship with us. Likewise, we need to be sure to face and endure other’s hardships with them. This Together is critical if we are to fight evil and defeat the devil. We cannot look the other way. Nor can our closest Christian friends, families and spouses shirk their duty to stand with us in the face of trouble – or us with them.
Obviously, the relationships in large Christian fellowships can only do a little to help people face and endure hardship. That is why we Christians must develop our Christian friendships, our Christian families, and our Christian marriages to step up to the plate whenever there are serious troubles.
This Together is used often in the battle with the devil. Every time that together we endure to the end with someone facing normal difficulties of life or voluntary hardships in serving God – we defeat Satan. Because God is so precious to us, we should savor each and every victory.
Wednesday, Week Two
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
After her sister died early in a tragic car crash, Ramona and her husband Jose began thinking about heaven and wondering what life was like for Ramona’s sister now that she was there. They began to realize that more of heaven’s benefits could be gained later by preparation now.
Jose and Ramona searched for and found the website www.ChristiansTogether.org and studied how obedience to each of the 65 Togethers of Scripture would prepare them to experience more in heaven. They decided to start with the Together representing God’s instruction for Christians to face and endure hardship together. Jose and Ramona already knew that they were to be each other’s primary helper in life because they were married. Focusing on facing and enduring hardship together opened their eyes to much more significant ways they needed each other. Jose was a quiet person unused to telling anyone of his struggles. He began to tell Ramona many things she could face and patiently endure with him until solutions came. Ramona was just the opposite. She was an overly emotional person whom Jose disconnected from to keep from being overwhelmed. After this was analyzed, Ramona began to tone down her expression of things that were bothering her. Now the two of them are really helpful to each other. And, heaven is waiting for them. Those who can help others with the difficulties of learning heaven’s ways and accessing heaven’s privileges are in short supply. |
In this life lots of things are not easy. We face many hardships. Many of the things we need and want require difficult situations and difficult actions.
Most hardships come from the requirements of everyday life. As an example, some Christians work hard to condition their bodies for athletic competition. Still, others have to go through rehab to bring their bodies back to just normal functioning. Pushing our bodies is the way they become stronger.
Hardships also come when we accept difficult assignments from the Lord. Think of missionaries who have to learn a new language to be able to share the gospel in another culture. That is not at all easy. And, those missionaries have to change some of their automatic behaviors that would be offensive in the new culture. That can be more than hard. Like them, we are to take on tough tasks for God and face and endure the hardships that accompany those assignments. Together!
In facing trouble and enduring hardship together within sinful culture, we help one another deal with hardship God’s way. Suffering is in many biblical formulas for growing spiritually.
Most hardships come from the requirements of everyday life. As an example, some Christians work hard to condition their bodies for athletic competition. Still, others have to go through rehab to bring their bodies back to just normal functioning. Pushing our bodies is the way they become stronger.
Hardships also come when we accept difficult assignments from the Lord. Think of missionaries who have to learn a new language to be able to share the gospel in another culture. That is not at all easy. And, those missionaries have to change some of their automatic behaviors that would be offensive in the new culture. That can be more than hard. Like them, we are to take on tough tasks for God and face and endure the hardships that accompany those assignments. Together!
In facing trouble and enduring hardship together within sinful culture, we help one another deal with hardship God’s way. Suffering is in many biblical formulas for growing spiritually.
but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3,4
suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3,4
We help each other deal with hardship through shared faith, hope, love, and other spiritual powers. We do not deal with hardship as the world does. Do non-Christians truly pray like we pray in the midst of hardship? Do they allow God’s power be a part of the solution? Do they know how to wait on the Lord with trust and peace in their hearts? All of these things we can do through ministry to one another. All of these things we must do together to please God who told us to face and endure hardship together.
Learning to stand with and help others in facing hard things now will be great preparation for heaven. We will have become equipped to serve God and honor Him in heaven by helping others face and endure the hardships necessary to access the superior righteousness of heaven as well as learn whatever will need to be learned to take advantage of heaven’s vast opportunities and challenges. That will bring a lot of joy to those of us who increasingly stepped in to face and endure hardships with others.
We know that heaven will be far more wonderful than we can ever imagine. Do you like to ski? Well, in heaven there will be some sport more enjoyable and challenging than skiing. It probably won’t be easy to learn. You will need people there to urge you on at times. If, during the time before death we grew in our ability to ask others to help us in our hardships, we will be more open to doing so in heaven. This will expand what we can enjoy of heaven’s opportunities.
Why would we think that we will not have to push ourselves beyond our natural ability in heaven? When Adam and Eve were without sin, do you think that they lived a boring life of ease? Even though the earth was not yet cursed, why would they have muscles in their bodies? So, it is not at all unreasonable to think that there will be hard challenges in heaven that we will still need to face together. The absence of sin does not mean the absence of difficulty.
Let’s get ready for heaven. Look for someone facing difficulty serving God and face the hard things with her or him. And invite those in your close Christians circle to help you with the tough things you face.
Friday, Week Two
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
Learning to stand with and help others in facing hard things now will be great preparation for heaven. We will have become equipped to serve God and honor Him in heaven by helping others face and endure the hardships necessary to access the superior righteousness of heaven as well as learn whatever will need to be learned to take advantage of heaven’s vast opportunities and challenges. That will bring a lot of joy to those of us who increasingly stepped in to face and endure hardships with others.
We know that heaven will be far more wonderful than we can ever imagine. Do you like to ski? Well, in heaven there will be some sport more enjoyable and challenging than skiing. It probably won’t be easy to learn. You will need people there to urge you on at times. If, during the time before death we grew in our ability to ask others to help us in our hardships, we will be more open to doing so in heaven. This will expand what we can enjoy of heaven’s opportunities.
Why would we think that we will not have to push ourselves beyond our natural ability in heaven? When Adam and Eve were without sin, do you think that they lived a boring life of ease? Even though the earth was not yet cursed, why would they have muscles in their bodies? So, it is not at all unreasonable to think that there will be hard challenges in heaven that we will still need to face together. The absence of sin does not mean the absence of difficulty.
Let’s get ready for heaven. Look for someone facing difficulty serving God and face the hard things with her or him. And invite those in your close Christians circle to help you with the tough things you face.
Friday, Week Two
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
Erlene is learning things about God not revealed to citizens of heaven until they actually get there. God is so magnificent that some aspects of who He is are hard to understand without help. Before dying, Erlene mistakenly thought that when she got to heaven she would know all things immediately. What she found out is that humans were made to learn, not to be like computers with information dumped into them.
Fortunately, a person who practiced facing hardship with others before she met death and entered paradise came along to help. This new friend has the tenacity to keep on helping during Erlene’s most confusing moments – because that person kept on standing by another’s side earlier when it was far more difficult with sin getting in the way. |
Let’s think of being “can do” people in heaven. This will come from doing hard things before death that are more difficult than we can face and endure alone. Others will face those hardships with us, allowing us to overcome whatever would stop us from reaching our difficult objectives. By this process we will gain confidence in our ability to accomplish those hard things that are beyond our individual reach. And, let’s have others help us in the same way.
Believing in others will also increase our belief in ourselves and give us confidence in the Lord’s provision. We will grow in our belief that all things are possible in Christ, often Jesus working though our ministry to one another.
Believing in others will also increase our belief in ourselves and give us confidence in the Lord’s provision. We will grow in our belief that all things are possible in Christ, often Jesus working though our ministry to one another.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Phil 4:13 (ESV)
Phil 4:13 (ESV)
If we made a practice of facing hardship with others before we died, we will look for ways to become better servants throughout all eternity. Those who ignored this command about facing hardship and will probably, yet happily, settle in heaven for average levels of servanthood. The others will approach heaven as infinite in every way, even self-improvement.
Furthermore, heaven’s opportunities will be endless. There will be things to learn, things to do, and relationships to be developed, all without the opposition of sin. All of these opportunities will not be easy just because sin will be absent. Why would God give us brains if not to use them? Learning will still be challenging, just not distracted by unholy desires or laziness. If you love acting, what fun would it be if you did not have to work to learn your lines? And what if there are sports to be learned and mastered on distant planets? Would they be fun if improvement was not possible through hard work? Otherwise, everyone would have the same skill level and there could be no contest.
Most of us know the joy that is ours when we have helped a baby learn to walk. If we enter heaven with vast experience in helping others do difficult things, there will be similar joys. Those who did not help others endure will not miss what they never had, just as we do not miss culinary delicacies of other cultures that are unattractive to us. You can’t miss what you don’t know. But, let’s not accept that for ourselves. Let’s go for the joy of helping others now when things are hard and in heaven when things are just difficult.
If we have faced and endured difficult things with the help of others, we will be able to pursue more of heaven’s fantastic opportunities. And, we can have the joy of helping others do so. Doesn’t that sound too good to pass up? On with the facing and enduring hardship together!
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Empathy
Furthermore, heaven’s opportunities will be endless. There will be things to learn, things to do, and relationships to be developed, all without the opposition of sin. All of these opportunities will not be easy just because sin will be absent. Why would God give us brains if not to use them? Learning will still be challenging, just not distracted by unholy desires or laziness. If you love acting, what fun would it be if you did not have to work to learn your lines? And what if there are sports to be learned and mastered on distant planets? Would they be fun if improvement was not possible through hard work? Otherwise, everyone would have the same skill level and there could be no contest.
Most of us know the joy that is ours when we have helped a baby learn to walk. If we enter heaven with vast experience in helping others do difficult things, there will be similar joys. Those who did not help others endure will not miss what they never had, just as we do not miss culinary delicacies of other cultures that are unattractive to us. You can’t miss what you don’t know. But, let’s not accept that for ourselves. Let’s go for the joy of helping others now when things are hard and in heaven when things are just difficult.
If we have faced and endured difficult things with the help of others, we will be able to pursue more of heaven’s fantastic opportunities. And, we can have the joy of helping others do so. Doesn’t that sound too good to pass up? On with the facing and enduring hardship together!
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Empathy
At a lavish reception in heaven in one of the art museums, Jesus passes by Patricia, and as he does so, he whispers in her ear, “Hello by dear servant with a long history of facing and enduring hardship with others just like I have done for all eternity.” The thrill of that brief, glorious, wonderful greeting lives on every day of Patricia’s everlasting life.
|
God faces and endures with us every trouble and hardship that comes our way, whether or not we ask Him to. We are His and he watches over us. We want to share with God this generosity to stand with others through the difficulties of life as well as the challenges of ministry. We want to have that closer connection to Him that comes from similar experiences.
During the eternity of heaven we will see God face to face.
During the eternity of heaven we will see God face to face.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
1 Cor 13:12
1 Cor 13:12
When we personally meet with God in his heaven, it will be very nice to sense that connection that only comes with both of us having faced and endured hardships and troubles with others.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Lord of All, I thank you for the opportunity to have others face and endure hardships and troubles with me. Help me to allow their involvement in my life. Help me to be more open and honest about the things I face that are difficult for me.
Help me also to not avoid the responsibility to stand by others when they face trials from life and serving you, especially those with whom I am especially close. Even when those I am enduring hardship with do things to make their lives more difficult, give me the patience and whatever else is required to go the distance with them.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Lord of All, I thank you for the opportunity to have others face and endure hardships and troubles with me. Help me to allow their involvement in my life. Help me to be more open and honest about the things I face that are difficult for me.
Help me also to not avoid the responsibility to stand by others when they face trials from life and serving you, especially those with whom I am especially close. Even when those I am enduring hardship with do things to make their lives more difficult, give me the patience and whatever else is required to go the distance with them.