”For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
2 Corinthians 1:5 ESV
A phrase that really stuck with me this week was “the people here when they give their life to Christ really mean it.” What makes their confession different from mine, what did they have to give up as opposed to me? I preached a sermon this week on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. The passage talks of comfort amidst affliction and suffering. As I prepared and then spoke my message God worked on two areas of my heart. Firstly, suffering produces a genuine faith. This speaks to my point earlier about the confession of these people being legit. The reason we can believe they really want to make this choice is that by choosing Christ they are subsequently choosing suffering. Paul makes a point in the passage that suffering is not an “if” for obedient Christian’s, it’s a “when”. And here suffering is a guarantee for the believer. Experienced through communal abandonment, hate, and sometimes physical violence. These people are choosing to suffer, they are choosing Christ. This just hit a chord with me as I thought over my own confession of faith. Could I have chosen this life if I knew I was choosing this affliction as well way back then? What is also evident is that those that suffer are refined in their faith. They hold Jesus so closely cause in the whole world, that is the only thing they have. The second thing I talked on in scripture was the assurance that true comfort comes explicitly through suffering. Yes Christ uses suffering to draw us closer to himself and to his church. To take all the pieces of our heart still holding onto the world and to put them in his hands. But he also uses suffering to show us the comfort that comes from being in him. We can find comfort in that our savior suffered like us. That he was our man of sorrows first. That the apostles and early disciples were persecuted just as we still are now. He knows how you feel, he’s given you a body of believes who are right there with you, and he’s standing there ready to wrap his arms around you. This was something I got to hear testified to me from the believes in this area. They praised God amidst strong adversity, and the joy and hope they had was breathtaking. I truly think suffering is essential to our faith. If we’re not experiencing it, 1 we’re either avoiding it in disobedience to God’s call to go, or 2 we’re in a season of peace in which we can be ready and available to comfort others in the truth of scripture and the testimony of our past sufferings. All through scripture there is a command to rejoice when suffering comes. Not in that we are explicitly being afflicted but in what God is and will do through it. Turn to him, he’s right there ready to comfort you in your affliction. And for those like me who have not experienced much suffering in their life, or at least suffering for the gospel, let’s step out in faith and be obedient to God. Suffering will come for us, but in that, we can receive what Paul mentions in verse 3 “the father of mercy and God of all comfort”. Therefore, because of these truths, let us step out and receive the gift of comfort God has promised to us. Let us suffer for Jesus as he suffered to set us free.
Along with this big truth God has put on my heart, we also got to experience some really big highlights this week!
-Cooking carbonara for the 3rd time overseas (2/3 baby!)
-A mine-cart train ride thing + watching a breathtaking sunset (as seen above)
-Card games with our English students (including uno and taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza)
-Getting the most embarrassing Spotify wrapped in the world
-Teaching my students how to play frisbee and getting to play it with them after each days class
-Steak
-Visiting one of the wonders of the world!
-Playing disc golf in Asia!!! (Still got it)
-Getting attacked by a literal cow
-Riding in a truck bed around town and visiting a village full of kids
-Preaching on comfort and suffering and getting to hear testimonies of the encouragement and comfort these people have experienced
-Visiting our reoccurring weekend village, doing some magic tricks that had the kids looking in my hair for cards, celebrating my birthday early with them, and saying a sad but sweet goodbye.
Such a fun packed week and again so grateful to our missions family who has made all of these touristy things possible. Y’all are some of the most patient, loving, and generous people I have ever met. Also big thank you to the donations from Joe and Dena Cade, Suzy Williams, and my Moms company. I am so grateful for each of you and the way you have impacted mine and my family’s lives. God bless y’all!
some prayer requests y’all could be lifting up for me and my team are:
- Health all around for these last 2 weeks
- For a heart of need for God
- For me to have humility, patience, and wisdom with my team
- For a fervent effort as we push through this last full week of ministry
As we jump into this last full week of ministry I am just amazed at how fast the time is passing by. But it just reminds me to be urgent in the time I have right now. To give all I have for the glory of God while I can. Lord may my life be a living sacrifice for you, take it all. May the lord take each of you and bring you closer to him, whether that be through suffering or witnesses of his faithfulness. Till next weeks last 1 month deployment post until I’m back in the Philippines, may God bless you all!
