It is so easy to fall into the trap of believing that the Christian life should be pain-free. But Jesus never promised to take away the pain of this world. He did promise to be with us through it all. One of the beautiful truths of the Christ story is that God willingly chose to enter into our suffering with us. By becoming man and walking this earth alongside the humans He created, He showed us what it looks like to carry one another’s burdens.
Pause for a moment and let that sink in. Jesus came during a historical moment when the majority believed that the gods used humankind for their own amusement. Through Jesus’ ministry on earth all of us were shown what it looks like when God enters into our suffering willingly.
Wrong assumptions lead to pain
Believing that the Christian life is pain-free leads to pain. Rejection, difficult times, grief and pain come for us all. Knowing that the God of this universe loves you and stands with you can help you weather any storm. Read this short testimony from one of the members of Centerpoint Church as she shares how the miracle she requested for her daughter’s healing did not come and how it shook her faith.
Even Jesus suffered
When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, He grieved with the family even knowing the resurrection that was to come (John 11:32-35). Before His crucifixion, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. “He plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, ‘This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me’” (Matthew 26:37-38 MSG). Not only did Jesus enter willingly into the suffering of humankind, but He asked those who love Him to carry the burden too. No one person can carry all the weight of the world. We are called to hold one another up and to share the burden.
Don’t choose the prison of comfort and sacrifice loving your neighbor in the process. When we choose to pursue pain-free lives, we become trapped in complicity and begin to choose a place of privilege rather than one of service.
Join us on Unfiltered Radio as we explore the historical Jesus and what it means to live our lives in a way that follows His example.