Hi there,
So this is not so much a look at what we suffer, so much as what that suffering becomes, when we work with it. On its own, suffering has a utility, that should not be ignored: it makes us "aware". If we didn't suffer, we would never have awareness of what is causing the suffering and what it associated with it. Our time on earth is running out, so we need that awareness - now, not later. Even acknowledging that we suffer at all, reminds us that we don't suffer in Heaven (that we should make our best effort to get to Heaven, for that reason). This is the power of God, in our suffering, as pertains to the salvation of the flesh.
But what is it that we are saving, when we save the "flesh"? This is a good question. Understand, that there is suffering that we can tolerate and suffering that we can't (tolerate). There is a power to focusing 'more' on the suffering we can tolerate, because put simply it unites our heart with God. God is waiting, for us to join Him. If we tolerate the suffering we experience along the way, when we reach God, we have strength to tolerate God, the same way we tolerate suffering on its own. God then, enters in to our suffering and experiences it with us. This is the power of God.
Does the power of God empower us? Certainly, to tolerate suffering more! It is therefore a Heavenly relationship, that carries us beyond ourselves, that we continue to live in relation to the suffering we are tolerating, but more than that we come to understand the experience of God, as wedded to our experience of ourselves. This takes work, but thankfully God has sent the example of suffering to us, in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ shares our suffering with us and holds on to us, despite the suffering - He is the epitome of endurance of suffering. I hesitate to say that He 'tolerates' our suffering, because in truth it is the Holy Spirit within Jesus that does the 'tolerating'. It is Christ's endurance of suffering, that brings us closer to Him (and His God).
We may consider these things a saving Grace, which we have in the Wisdom of God, that gradually learning, we come to discern between things that we can't avoid suffering and those things we can suffer without. It is counter-intuitive, to think that there will always be something we can suffer, but that's "Hell" and it should remind us, to cling to the Lord, to help us endure as He does. Suffering on its own will tire us, but if we remain in the Lord's endurance, it will never overwhelm us. Thus we learn to tolerate, as the Holy Spirit tolerates. And tolerating perfectly, God's heart in Us beats most strongly. This is what delivers us, from this life! The Love of God within us, keeping us from the destruction of "too much" suffering (which there is, for those that do not believe). It is a delicate balance, but the mastery of it saves more, than would ever have known God without it! We are here because God is able to justify us, even despite the suffering that we face.
If we are justified, then our suffering has an end.
God bless.
So this is not so much a look at what we suffer, so much as what that suffering becomes, when we work with it. On its own, suffering has a utility, that should not be ignored: it makes us "aware". If we didn't suffer, we would never have awareness of what is causing the suffering and what it associated with it. Our time on earth is running out, so we need that awareness - now, not later. Even acknowledging that we suffer at all, reminds us that we don't suffer in Heaven (that we should make our best effort to get to Heaven, for that reason). This is the power of God, in our suffering, as pertains to the salvation of the flesh.
But what is it that we are saving, when we save the "flesh"? This is a good question. Understand, that there is suffering that we can tolerate and suffering that we can't (tolerate). There is a power to focusing 'more' on the suffering we can tolerate, because put simply it unites our heart with God. God is waiting, for us to join Him. If we tolerate the suffering we experience along the way, when we reach God, we have strength to tolerate God, the same way we tolerate suffering on its own. God then, enters in to our suffering and experiences it with us. This is the power of God.
Does the power of God empower us? Certainly, to tolerate suffering more! It is therefore a Heavenly relationship, that carries us beyond ourselves, that we continue to live in relation to the suffering we are tolerating, but more than that we come to understand the experience of God, as wedded to our experience of ourselves. This takes work, but thankfully God has sent the example of suffering to us, in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ shares our suffering with us and holds on to us, despite the suffering - He is the epitome of endurance of suffering. I hesitate to say that He 'tolerates' our suffering, because in truth it is the Holy Spirit within Jesus that does the 'tolerating'. It is Christ's endurance of suffering, that brings us closer to Him (and His God).
We may consider these things a saving Grace, which we have in the Wisdom of God, that gradually learning, we come to discern between things that we can't avoid suffering and those things we can suffer without. It is counter-intuitive, to think that there will always be something we can suffer, but that's "Hell" and it should remind us, to cling to the Lord, to help us endure as He does. Suffering on its own will tire us, but if we remain in the Lord's endurance, it will never overwhelm us. Thus we learn to tolerate, as the Holy Spirit tolerates. And tolerating perfectly, God's heart in Us beats most strongly. This is what delivers us, from this life! The Love of God within us, keeping us from the destruction of "too much" suffering (which there is, for those that do not believe). It is a delicate balance, but the mastery of it saves more, than would ever have known God without it! We are here because God is able to justify us, even despite the suffering that we face.
If we are justified, then our suffering has an end.
God bless.
