Bearing The Scars From Battle .. The Cost Of Serving

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good… —1 Peter 4:19

 

“Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life. […] the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. […] Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). […] God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. […] God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.” CHAMBERS

 

The wounds of a soldier for Jesus.  Battle scars.  Evidence that the life of a saint is difficult and demanding.  It is not a life of ease.  For the past few days, I have been dealing with a recurring problem that started when I was in Haiti.  It is a reminder to me that God has called us to serve Him. To put ourselves in harms’ way because He has given us a mission. Our trust is not in ourselves but in Him.  Like the thorn in Paul’s side (1 Corinthians 12:7-10) or Jacob’s permanent limp (Genesis 32:25-32), we have reminders that we are mere mortals, physically, but more than conquerors spiritually (Romans 8:37).  People tend to focus on the great spiritual victories, the fruit of ministry.  Yet there are personal costs that go unsung.  (with the exception of this particular devotion)  The reason, God put us in a place where we would “bring the most glory to Him”.  But not without a personal cost.  Even thought our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), that does not mean there are not physical and emotional consequences to our serving.  We don’t choose to be “wounded” but we are willing to be wounded as we carry on for the Lord. Paul said, (Romans 5:3-5) “…. we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” CHARLEY