August 10: The Sacrament of the Saint
Today's scripture comes from one of my favorite passages in the Bible - I Peter 4:12-19. (Actually I'm pretty fond of all of I Peter!) I think it came to be so because of reading this devotion several years ago and having such a terrible struggle with Oswald's unconventional comments.
Did you also bristle when you read "The people who do us good are never those who sympathize with us, they always hinder, because sympathy enervates?" After all, isn't a good Christian suppose to sympathize and do whatever is possible to alleviate someone else's pain?
The bottom line is that I've learned he is exactly right on point! Many years ago I was being treated unfairly by someone, and most people around me said, "You shouldn't put up with that!" or "Give him a piece of your mind!" or "He's a hopeless jerk!" Of course, that just glorified my pity party, made me more angry at him, and our relationship worsened. Then, one of my friends told me how much she admired me for letting his barbed comments just roll off like water off a duck's back, and she said that was what Jesus would do. Her encouragement prompted me to forget about my own suffering and concentrate on loving like Jesus. Guess what? Our relationship was healed!!
Just this summer I realized something that nearly knocked my socks off. In January of 2001, something happened that broke my heart, and I couldn't understand why God would allow that kind of pain. But having learned to accept "suffering according to the will of God" I didn't fight the circumstance, but pasted a smile on my face until God could heal my heart. This summer it occured to me that I could not have possibly been able to be involved with GSH if the other thing I loved doing had not been taken away! God knew what He was doing all along, even if I am so slow that I just now figured it out.
Jesus, help us to be willing to suffer wrongs if we can show Your love to those around us who are hurting. Help us to be like You and refuse the pity of men, but follow whereever you lead, even if it seems like an "unutterable waste" to those around us. Let us be willing to be put where "we will glorify You even though we are no judges at all of where that is."
Did you also bristle when you read "The people who do us good are never those who sympathize with us, they always hinder, because sympathy enervates?" After all, isn't a good Christian suppose to sympathize and do whatever is possible to alleviate someone else's pain?
The bottom line is that I've learned he is exactly right on point! Many years ago I was being treated unfairly by someone, and most people around me said, "You shouldn't put up with that!" or "Give him a piece of your mind!" or "He's a hopeless jerk!" Of course, that just glorified my pity party, made me more angry at him, and our relationship worsened. Then, one of my friends told me how much she admired me for letting his barbed comments just roll off like water off a duck's back, and she said that was what Jesus would do. Her encouragement prompted me to forget about my own suffering and concentrate on loving like Jesus. Guess what? Our relationship was healed!!
Just this summer I realized something that nearly knocked my socks off. In January of 2001, something happened that broke my heart, and I couldn't understand why God would allow that kind of pain. But having learned to accept "suffering according to the will of God" I didn't fight the circumstance, but pasted a smile on my face until God could heal my heart. This summer it occured to me that I could not have possibly been able to be involved with GSH if the other thing I loved doing had not been taken away! God knew what He was doing all along, even if I am so slow that I just now figured it out.
Jesus, help us to be willing to suffer wrongs if we can show Your love to those around us who are hurting. Help us to be like You and refuse the pity of men, but follow whereever you lead, even if it seems like an "unutterable waste" to those around us. Let us be willing to be put where "we will glorify You even though we are no judges at all of where that is."
posted by Jane at 5:16 AM
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