et’s work through some logic together - - >1. Our purpose is to glorify God.
2. God is most glorified when I exalt Him above all else.
3. It is EASY to glorify God when things are going “great” (finance, relationships, job, etc)
4. It is DIFFICULT to glorify God when things are not.
5. God is most clearly seen in those who glorify Him in the “not so great” times.
6. The people that can glorify Him in the “not so great times” are not those of weak faith, but those of mature(ing) faith.
7. The people that will be allowed, by God, to under go such trials, for His GLORY and purpose, are then, the MATURE in faith.
8. God recieves glory through those mature in faith, who are left with nothing but God, and in turn NEED nothing but God. They are the most prepared to GLORIFY Him in the way he is often glorified THE MOST!
MY POINT: It’s crazy to think that the more you GROW in Christ, the LESS problems you’ll have. When our PURPOSE is to glorify Christ, and we can glorify Him BETTER as we mature, when things are taken away - then why aren’t we EXPECTING suffering instead of prosperity? To take it further, why aren’t we PRAISING God for the opportunities to FULLFILL our purpose BETTER - rather, GLORIFY Him in our sufferings.
The is THE difference between the world and us. We put him FIRST - and that can only been seen, often times, in LOSING things, not gaining them.
When you have nothing, you show the world you need nothing but Him.
When you praise no thing, you show the world you need not praise anything but Him.
AS YOU GROW, BE READY, and JOYOUS - (James 1:2)
February 21st, 2007 at 7:56 am
i’ve probably said this in every post but this attitude reminds me a lot of paul. when he was weak that was when he was strong because he realized in those moments of distress his total reliance on God.
February 21st, 2007 at 7:56 am
The Bible makes this point quite often, we are to expect sufferings as Christians just as Christ suffered in order that we may share in His glory Rom. 8:17
Pastor Chuck did a sermon on this not too long ago. He said there were three types.
Suffering because of sinful choices,
Suffering because of the will of God, such as having a disease
and Gethsemane suffering, suffering you could choose to get out of but you endure because you know it’s Gods will, just like Christ had the option to be rescued by angels and not endure the cross. In the end our sufferings are not without purpose, they are making us more like Christ and revealing His glory in us Rom. 8:18