I was thinking the other day about the words Pastor Smith spoke regarding his Sermon on Matthew 16: 23-26:
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Pastor Smith reminded us about suffering and about sacrifice. He reminded us that not once in the Bible does God say that because we believe in Jesus, because we call ourselves Christians, we will live a favored, care-free life. John 16:33 says:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Even Paul boasts of his suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
As I reflected on these passages and on Pastor Smith's Sermon, I had to ask myself when and where did we as Christians adopt the notion that because we believe we are entitled to a certain pampering from the world? Why do many of us---myself included---tend to think we should have little to no financial burdens? Why do we think ourselves and our families should be excluded from the curse of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc...? Why do we think our kids should be healthy and hard-working? Why do we think day after day things should just fall into place? I'm a Christian, what do you mean I'm getting a speeding ticket? Doesn't God know I was late for work? That I can't afford to pay the $120 fine? Doesn't God know I don't have the time to be sick? Doesn't He realize I'm a believer and that I don't have the energy to deal with problems with my kids or their teachers or their coaches or their homework, attitude, or apathy? Why is life turning out to be difficult for me, God, if I am one of Yours?
God never promised us wealth. He never promised us a healthy, easy life. He never promised us that we would lead a life free of problems, calamities, disasters, death, disease, and heartache...just because we pull the name badge out of our desk that says, "Hi, I'm a Christian," There is no Christian equivalent to the HOV lane that will allow our exclusive club members to coast through life passing by all those "other people" as they suffer and wrestle with the world. This isn't a Country Club mentality where we can argue that because we come to church a few Sundays a month and contribute money to the offering plate and occasionally volunteer to help out we should automatically be catered to by God.
Here's what God has promised us:
Philippians 4:19: And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. He promised to meet our needs not our wants and earthly desires. God desires our spiritual well-being, not our earthly well-being. And like a good parent who truly knows what is best for his/her child, so it is with God who knows what is best for each of us.
Mark 16:16: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. God promises salvation to those who believe and are baptized in that faith.
2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” He promises us sufficient grace and mercy. His grace is His gift to us so that we can be more effectively equipped to deal with the troubles and tribulations in this world. See also Ephesians 2:8: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. God promises to work through us who believe in Him to do good in this world. He will use us to bring about His will and His mercy to a fallen world.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. God has promised us victory over death. He has promised us resurrection.
Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." God has promised us that if we truly come to Him with a repentive heart, our sins are forgiven us. He has promised us the gifting of the Holy Spirit.
John 10:27-28: 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. God promises us that once we are His, we will always be His and no power on this earth can take us from Him.
and most importantly....
John 3:16: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Through the gift of His son, Jesus Christ, God has promised us eternal life with Him.
You see, nowhere does it say wealth. Nowhere does it describe a cakewalk or anything remotely close to ease. Just because we believe, God does not say we will be taken care of on this earth. Christians in general and American Christians in particular need to not be lulled into a state of entitlement. "I am so therefore I deserve." No. Just because "you are" doesn't mean squat. It's what you do with your "you" that's important to God. It's the spiritual "you" that matters. So what, you're a Christian...now what? What are you going to do about that? When was the last time that your faith led you to be...
1. Challenged openly by non-believers for being a Christian?
2. Called into the wilderness to fast for 40 days?
3. Tempted by Satan yet you did not give in to the sin?
4. Thrown in jail, imprisoned, starved, beaten, and abuse because your faith runs counter with mainstream culture?
5. Betrayed by people closest to you because of your beliefs?
6. Spat on, beaten, publically ridiculed, and insulted?
7. Scourged 39 times?
8. Crowned with a wreath of inch-long thorns?
9. Forced to carry a cross?
10. Nailed to a cross and hung left to die for all the world to see?
Have you had to experience any of these things? I know I haven't. And what I need to remember about my faith and my oft-visited self-pity party in which I wonder why I don't get this, that, or the other thing...why God hasn't "blessed me" in a way I see fit...when I get to those moments, it would be healthy for me to remember that I live a pretty good life...a very blessed one, in fact, and until I experience all of the things listed above, I have no room for complaining or feeling entitled.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment