Wednesday: Surviving Through Hope
“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, , NIV).
As God’s chosen apostle, Paul had endured more than most people. Yet, Paul was not crushed. Rather, he grew in his praise for God. Read his list of hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29. Now read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11.
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
In 2 Corinthians 1:4, Paul states that the reason for receiving God’s compassion and comfort is “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (NIV). To what extent might suffering be a call to ministry? How could we become more alert to this possibility?
God wants to minister through us to hurting people. This means that He may first allow us to experience the same sort of hurts. Then we’ll offer encouragement, not from theory, but from our own experience of the compassion and comfort of God. This is a principle from Jesus’ life (see Hebrews 4:15).
Paul’s vivid descriptions of his hardships are not to make us feel sorry for him. They are for us to know that even when we’re in the depths, the Father still can intervene to bring His compassion and comfort. We may despair even of our own lives, and even be killed, but fear not, God is teaching us to rely on Him. We can trust Him, for our God “raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9, NIV).
As Paul continues to set his eyes on proclaiming the gospel, he knows that God will rescue him in the future, as well. Paul’s ability to remain firm is supported by three things he mentions in 2 Corinthians 1:10-11. First, God’s proven track record: “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10, NIV). Second, Paul’s determination to fix his concentration on God Himself: “On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10, NIV). Third, the saints’ continual intercession: “as you help us by your prayers” (2 Corinthians 1:11, NIV).
| What can you learn from Paul that can help you keep from falling into self-pity amid your own struggles? |
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Paul wasn’t short on life’s experiences. We know all this because he wrote about it himself.
Was Paul trying to tell his readers that he had earned his salvation? Are pain, suffering, trials and persecution a prerequisite to a place in heaven? I don't really think so. I think that Paul was interested in survival. 2 Cor 11 and 12 need to be read together to see what Paul is driving at. Read what he has to say at the end of Chapter 12:
Paul's message of salvation was about living and surviving in the present.
Pastors and Leadership in Christian church's by God's standards should embraces bodily suffering, along with many other forms, as the necessity of a leader in the Jesus’ way.
Jesus shared our suffering and death, that was caused by our sins and Satan's lies, to reconcile all issues to his Father's divine nature of Love, Mercy and Justice (God can't deny his own nature) and Man's fall from it's intended purpose s.
Today, we may seek to become leaders for a salary, prominence, and authority over people. In Roman times leadership was linked to patronage aka —to avoid suffering.
Qualifications for church leadership is sharing in the sufferings of Christ as like the Paul to the gentiles and the other apostles to the Jewish covenant people, that ended in 70AD when the temple was destroyed.
Paul understood leadership ..
Paul says, I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
Job wanted to be a priest for his family, but failed to see it, in his suffering.
Pray for Spirit led leaders, that share in Christ's inflictions for the body of believers around the world.
Colossians 1:24-26
Maurice, I agree to what you mentioned, also your closing sentence „ Paul´s message of salvation was about living and surviving in the present.“
This is confirmed in 1 Cor. 15:32: KJV
„If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.“
How natural it is to hold on to life while we‘re at it, yet maintaining the faith, that if we die, there is still hope in the resurrection.
Read
As today's lesson illustrates, Paul had cultivated the practice of seeing his circumstances from a larger perspective. That perspective was that Paul's situations and circumstances were located within a Great Controversy between the powers of good and evil. While evil unfortunately must have space to be expressed for now, God is at work in and amongst that necessity to ultimately work/orchestrate all things together for good (Romans 8:28). As part of that working all things together for good, Paul knew and accepted that his own growth and development in reliance upon God was needed and that God and His Way's would be glorified by the witness of Paul's growth and development in reliance and God's corresponding faithfulness in response to that reliance. This awareness of the bigger picture beyond the immediate situation helped Paul endure. Might it also help us endure?
My 7 year old daughter taught me a saying from her teacher yesterday, "You get what you get, and you don't pitch a fit."
Having an attitude of acceptance can help us through the circumstances of our lives and when there is no other way out of the situation that is when we can rely on God the most.
Philippians 2:14-16
What can we learn from Paul that can help us keep from falling into self-pity amid our own struggles?
We can learn to lean on Jesus through difficulty, thus avoiding self pity. John Stalings said it so nicely.
I'm learning to lean, learning to lean,
Learning to lean on Jesus.
Finding more power than I'd ever dreamed,
I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
The joy I can't explain fills my heart,
Since the day I made Jesus my King;
His blessed Holy Spirit is leading my way,
He's teaching and I'm learning to lean.
There's glorious vict'ry each day now for me,
Since I found His peace so serene;
He helps me with each task, if only I'll ask;
Ev'ry day now I'm learning to lean.
So true and apropos with what Paul experienced and is teaching us.
But those who wait(lean) on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
The graphic image in the study certainly shows sympathy and empathy with our brothers and sisters.
However, the apostle Paul said he was leading a vicarious life in the priesthood of Christ on earth.
As follows:
Paul says, I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
Colossians 1:24-26.
Have you ever wondered in your pain and suffering, that God is equiping you to help someone very soon ?
Job overlooked vicarious suffering !