Perfection through PAIN and SUFFERING

Those who follow Jesus Christ are perfected in holiness and obedience through suffering. If you follow Jesus Christ you will follow His example of suffering. Jesus, even though He was a son learned through what He suffered and if we follow Him we will also learn through suffering.

We read in 1 Peter 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;” God disciplines every son that He accepts, so if you are accepted as a child of God then you will be disciplined and you will learn through what you suffer.

I have suffered much in my life because that is the way that God teaches His own children. If we do not suffer then we are illegitimate children, He will teach us through MUCH SUFFERING. God has taught me through, trials, pain, suffering. Right now I am going through some suffering. For the past three months I have had a little toe that has chilblains, or winters toe. I cannot wear a shoe. So I asked the Lord. I said:”Lord, what must I learn from this?” because there is no medication that helps for chilblains, you just need to move to a warmer place. So I said:”Lord, what must I learn from this small toe that is so painful?” it keeps me awake at night. The Holy Spirit teaches me that if the little toe suffers then the whole body suffers, because it keeps me awake at night, causes me to pray and spend more time with the Lord. You see, if the smallest member of the Body of Christ suffers then the whole Body suffers, and we have to care for each other, care for those whom we regard least because they are important. If they suffer then the Body of Christ suffers.

We learn through what we suffer. I have suffered much in my life since I have started following Jesus Christ but through suffering He has taught me to OBEY Him, not to love the things of the world. We learn through suffering and if you follow Jesus Christ you will suffer. There is no coincidence in the life of a child of God because God directs our footsteps. Whatever happens to us is in the plan of God because we are children of God. Whenever anything happens to me, pain, sickness, misfortune, whatever, I turn to Jesus and I say:”Lord, what are You teaching me?” because that is the way He teaches us.

Maybe He is speaking to you. He chastises those whom He loves. Maybe there is sin in your life. Ask the Lord why you are sick. Ask Him why you are running into misfortune. Ask Him why somebody drove into the back of your car. Is your car not maybe your idol? Ask the Lord why things are going wrong in your life. Because we LEARN THROUGH WHAT WE SUFFER.

Nothing is easy when you follow Jesus but if we YIELD to Him, we TRUST Him and we SUBMIT, He teaches us HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, LONGSUFFERING and OBEDIENCE. We are changed into His likeness through suffering but WE MUST SUBMIT TO HIM. We must YIELD and let Him have His way in us and He will mold us into perfection.

If you yield to the discipline of the Holy Spirit and ACCEPT the SUFFERING and learn from it then you will be changed into His likeness and be suitable to enter into the kingdom of heaven. If you refuse correction you will not be suitable for His kingdom and He will turn you away. We learn through what we suffer IF we want to follow Jesus Christ.

May Jesus bless you.