Compared to our eternal hope, pain can be seen as a temporary problem. At present, we’re still in the temporary part of God’s scheme of redemption. But the eternal part is coming, and that’s where our hearts and minds need to be fixed.
Jesus did not experience the negative, corrosive emotions that normally make pain so horrible for us. Much of our suffering comes from anger, resentment, and self-pity. But Jesus refused to respond to pain in these ways; so His pain was much purer.
It’s not a burden but a privilege to be such creatures as we are: human beings. We should accept the honor that God has bestowed upon us. Our God-given endowments are wonderful; we should be grateful for them and use them to the praise of His glory.
Our only hope is the gospel of Christ, which is a plan of forgiveness based on grace. Yet the grace is extended only to those who have enough love for the truth to acknowledge the damage they’ve done, without any attempt to soften the situation.
We need to accept whatever roles are ours to play, regardless of where these rank on any worldly scale of values. We should be glad for our part and grateful for the work God gives us. After all, God has set us in the body “just as He pleased.”
“Be still, and know that I am God.” We won’t revere God properly until we’ve gotten still, and stillness in God’s school may not be something we’re willing to accept. We may have to be forced to be still by the “preschool” of pain and suffering.
The spirit of worship is selfless wonder at God’s majesty — the smallness of ourselves in His presence. And for sinful beings, it involves repentance. Our hearts may be proud or they may be worshipful, but they can’t be both. Pride kills worship.
Our adversary specializes in confusion. He loves to prey upon minds that are torn and upset by multiple worries, and he often tempts us when we’re so beset by cares that we act on impulse, failing to consider the consequences of our actions.
God cannot be defeated, and this truth is attested by everything ever been known about Him. When, in the face of temporary opposition, we choose to believe the ultimate victory will be His, we adopt a faith the devil can do little to vanquish.
Those who will enjoy heaven are those who know how to be patient, and patience comes down to what the old-timers used to call “grit.” But mark it well: grit is not something some people are born with and others are not. It’s a matter of choice.
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