How do you know when you have suffered?

²⁹ For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him  Phil. 1:29


Have some question weighing on my heart and mind today.  Hopefully I can get them all out before the kids wake up.  We don't have school today and my daughter had a sleepover........hopefully they will sleep a long time!!  


Take a look at another interpretation of the same scripture above.  There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting. Phil. 1:29


Wow - suffering is as much a gift as trusting - that is deep and profound and convicting too.  


How do YOU know when you have suffered for Christ?


Have you ever suffered for Christ?  


What was that like?  


Did you get to the point where you felt it was a gift?


How do you tell the difference between suffering and discipline?


Is physical sickness and disease part of suffering? 




I really would love your thoughts on this!!  You are welcome to email me as well.  I have lots of opinions, but I want to hear from you.


Have a wonderful day - I'm off to do laundry!!   

690 - Tough Times

Have you ever been through a tough time and made the comment that "this is more than I can handle" or "this is just too much" even if it was self-inflicted?  I think I have been in that situation more than once.  In fact I know that I have.  

I think the toughest thing about going through a hard time is that everything thing is affected.   I can not see straight in almost every situation.  There becomes a cloud over my eyes or thoughts and I begin to question all logic.  Satan loves it!!!  He has a heyday.  This is right where he wants me!  Have you been there?  

When extreme mental exhaustion hits and I simply collapse into the "giving up" stage this is actually a good thing for me.  I am by nature a fixer and so until the Lord gets a hold of me - actually let me rephrase that - until I give into the constant prod of the Holy Spirit to let go, I am like a tornado in a downward spiral.  I get more and more worked up mentally until it is time to give up!!  It is like the Lord patiently waits for "giving up" and then does His work on me.  

As I lay in the "giving up" stage I begin to think about how it will be when Christ comes again.  How this world will no longer be the way it is, but more importantly, I will no longer be the way I am either.  Yeah baby!!!!!  There will no longer be any tornadic activity from me and no longer be any tough times.  God will right all the wrongs, He will redeem all the saints, and He will make all things new - the Final time!  Oh Jesus - I can hardly wait.  

But as hard as I may think things can get I am reminded there is no comparison for how awesome He will be when we see Him face to face.  Romans 8:18 states, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."  Whatever I think is too much to handle or is just more than i can bear or this i just too much... can not compare to what His glory will reveal on That day!  This life is all about perspective!  And if i could keep a Kingdom perspective realizing that He is worth it all - even self-inflicted things - I know He would receive more glory from my life!    

686 - Hang in there!!!

Ever lose your confidence?   Ever wanted to throw in the towel?  Ever wanted to take your ball and go home?  I have - even recently!!  But let's see what God has to say about it...