Michael continues: Through his suffering and pain the Apostle Paul asked God to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” God finally answered his prayer. But God’s answer was not the answer Paul expected. God said, “My strength is made perfect in thy weakness… my grace is sufficient for thee.” The greatest life lessons are learned through the crucible of the melting pot and the refining fire of God’s purifying.
According to Philippians 3:4-10, Paul said, in the world’s eyes I had accomplished many great things. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Even though Paul had the right worldly credentials, He concluded, what the world values, I count worthless in order to gain Christ.
Paul knew that in order to live for Christ he had to forsake his own ways and die to himself. Even though he had the right pedigree, born of the tribe of Benjamin, even though he was schooled in the strictest teachings of the Law of the Pharisees, and even though he kept all 613 of the Old Testament Laws, Paul said, these things I count but loss so that I may gain Christ. He knew that his righteousness was not in the works of the Law, but in the righteousness of Christ. The Apostle said, all of my worldly accomplishments, I count but dung, rubbish, excrement, that I may know Christ. Everything I’ve done that the world holds dear, I flush down the toilet so that I may gain the knowledge of Christ. It’s not for my own glory anymore, but for the glory of God through my Lord Jesus Christ.
Oswald Chambers said, if you enjoy being tortured and suffering pain, then you’re insane. However, if you suffer and endure for Christ, then you’re living on a higher plain than the physical comfort of this fallen world. If you love God above all, then you’re motivated to live for Him and not for the pleasures of the world. The greatest blessings of life are learned through suffering. Joy is not the absence of pain. Joy is the presence of the Lord. The Apostle James said, “count it all joy when you encounter various trials. For when tribulation is completed, God will reveal his perfect work in you… that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” The Apostle Paul prayed, that I may know the fellowship of his suffering, that I, too, may die to self in order to live for God. Jesus said, “whosoever shall hold on to his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.” As missionary Jim Elliot said, he is no fool who loses that which he cannot keep to keep that which he cannot lose.
Why is suffering a blessing and not a curse? When our heart’s desire is to be conformed to his image and to his suffering, for tribulation works patience, and patience experience. A blessing of proven character, the character of Christ in us, the hope of Glory. And a blessing in endurance and long suffering, for we will know by experience the meaning of hope and love. A blessing, for proving the character of Christ in us produces hope of the return of our Lord, and hope makes us not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit that even through the trial and suffering and enduring, we may live to the praise of the glory of God’s grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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