Doesn't it just drive you crazy to see others doing things they shouldn't? With age and experience those instances seem to have increased. We see people we care about making wrong choices, exhibiting wrong attitudes, being rebellious or disobedient to what God has said...and we can't do a single thing about it.
Ever see the movie Bruce Almighty? There is a scene where Bruce asks God how to make someone love him. You can't.
It's one of those movies that caused a lot of controversy, but watched with the knowledge that it is simply fiction, it causes some thinking. Or it did for me anyway.
How do you get people to love and be obedient to God? How do you make people see how trustworthy He is, that what He says do or do NOT do, is ALWAYS for a very good reason. It is always for our ultimate good. sigh...
"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death..." (Phillipians 3:10 NIV)
The first half of that verse is so encouraging. To know Christ and come to know His power to resurrect and restore is wonderful.
The word resurrection in the original language has to do with a standing up again, raised to life, rise from the dead, recovery. I want that don't you? I want to recover from every heartache, every hard season of life, and I sure want death to not be the finality for me. (And praise God, that matter is settled!)
Resurrection from this earthly life is settled for me. The very familiar John 3:16 and dozens more scriptures gives me a personal assurance of that. But what about this suffering?
We can't enjoy the power without also participating in the suffering. I know the power He has exercised in my life personally. I know the differences He has made. I have witnessed the life changes in not only myself, but others. And I also know the suffering and heartsickness of seeing Him rejected and disobeyed.
I have not been called to suffer my physical life being threatened. I have not been beaten or put in a cell. But it is also suffering to witness people struggling against the pricks of His Spirit, rebelling against a love that is beyond human capacity, continuing to chart their own path, demanding their own way regardless of whether God has even been consulted much less followed.
Oh how it must hurt the heart of God to see our continued disregard. If it hurts my heart this much to see what I see, how heavy that suffering is to see the disregard and disobedience of the entire human race!
Me included.
Me included.
