It’s a brand-new week! It’s Monday, January 24, 2022. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s winter. It’s a time when all things settle into a cycle that may seem repetitive and even monotonous, but I see it as a necessary part of growing. It’s the process. Don’t rush it. Don’t avoid it. Don’t sidestep it. The process will test you, but it will also build you. It’s like the reps that a competitive bodybuilder does to increase his strength. Or a professional musician who practices a composition over and again. Or an Olympic gymnast who repeats a routine for the hundredth time. While monotonous, the process is what makes them what they are! Read on...
Today's Reading:
Exodus 9,10,11; Luke 24
Scripture
“Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26)
Observation
Certain things in life require a measure of suffering. If my goal in life were to be insulated from any discomfort, I would never experience His glory. “Was it not necessary …?”
Those first few words give us a rare glimpse of a “life essential” that we often avoid at all costs. Yet, I am discovering that in order to learn, I must be willing to endure a measure of disquiet when the disciplines of life press in on me.
- Getting up a bit earlier to do my devotions, although my flesh complains
- Disciplining myself to follow up and finish projects even though I think it’s not necessary
- Going the extra mile with needy people when I’d rather avoid them
- Exercising … when I’d rather take a nap
The best parts of life are never lived under ideal conditions.
I might make Godly commitments while caught up in the emotion of a divine church service, but I must live it out where no music is playing, and no one is saying, “Praise the Lord.” I may assure someone of my never-ending commitment, but it will only be proven when the newness has worn off, and I choose to stay faithful even while questioning my pledge.
It’s only confirmed when the preciousness ends … and the process begins.
Application
My life will include necessary sufferings: in my marriage, ministry, personal life, and more. But that is the only road that will lead to my destiny in Christ. Therefore, I must welcome suffering as my friend and days of loneliness as nothing to fear. Real commitment is staying true to a worthy decision long after the emotion of making that decision has passed.
Prayer
Dear Father, please give me the strength to go through the necessary sufferings of life. My goal is not leisure. It is likeness. And may my goal be the same as the Apostle Paul’s – to “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12).
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