Worth Nothing

(Written Jan 21, 2007)
It seems that everywhere I turn these days, godly people are suffering. Cancer, sicknesses of other types, loss of jobs, other difficult circumstances - suffering is everywhere. Just about the time our prayer list whittles down because of answered prayer, we see new requests and new examples of suffering.

This morning I have realized why the suffering can be so overwhelming. We think it’s about US! We praise Jesus with all our hearts, giving Him the glory, but then we present our suffering to Him and remind Him of how hard it is to serve Him in the suffering. We focus on the suffering and on ourselves and feel swallowed up in our grief. I am the worst about it. I’m complaining and struggling. Can’t He make it easier? Slowly and somewhat painfully, He is chipping away at my complaints. It started when my husband started reading It’s Not About Me by Max Lucado. I haven’t read the book, but the excerpts my husband has read have been convicting enough. And recently I was given the reminder by a fellow believer that Jesus Himself “was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7 NIV) No complaining! Finally, God sealed it for me by personally stabbing me right in the heart this morning with Acts 20:22-24. Paul was meeting with the Ephesian elders, bidding them farewell before heading to Jerusalem. He said, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” Paul’s life hadn’t been rosy up to this point – he’d already been persecuted, stoned, sick, and ignored. And yet the Holy Spirit was telling him that hardships were coming. He wasn’t being told, “I know you’ve already suffered so much, so you’ll get to take a little break and maybe even end your life in peace.” Nope! It was more along the lines of, “Hang on, Paul, because if you think you’ve suffered for My sake up until now, you’re about to see that you ain’t seen nothing yet!” But, get this – hear Paul’s next statement in verse 24. “However, I consider my life nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Wow!!!! I haven’t suffered. True, we’ve had issues and inconveniences. But, I’ve never suffered anything like what Paul experience before the Holy Spirit gave him this warning, much less anything like what he suffered afterwards. But, none of that mattered as long as he was doing God’s work!

Lord, I want to stop complaining! Lord, I want to lift up the needs of my fellow believers, but I want to stop pouting if You don’t answer just the way I think You should. I want to put myself and them in Your hands and pray that You use us to complete Your work and glorify Your name. I want to “consider my life nothing to me.” Thank You, Lord, that Your power dwells in me to face the challenges and continue serving You to the fullest. May I have the grace to do it without complaint and the faith to know that whatever hardship I face can be used by You to bring about the best for me and the greatest glory for Yourself. Be glorified in me, Lord!