Grace

"For to you it is graciously granted for Christ's sake, not only to be believing on Him, but to be suffering for His sake also." Philippians 1:29

For many years now we have heard teachings that promote prosperity. Promoted by the idea that when you follow certain doctrines you will be blessed with health and wealth and because of your beliefs...you actually deserve it and have earned it.

I really have never understood how so many have fallen into believing such a lie when all of us can read scriptures for ourselves. We see that from the beginning those who follow God will be persecuted and will deal with suffering. And as Paul puts it...graciously suffer for Christ's sake!

That doesn't mean all believers will walk around in rags, are sick, and have nothing...but God graciously allows suffering to believers to bring us to a maturity in graciously knowing the suffering that Christ endured for us. This suffering teaches us and helps us to remain focused on Jesus instead of ourselves. Paul also reminds us in Romans 5:

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us."

The time is coming soon when we will see this world turn upside down. Disaster will come to this land, the whole world, and the doctrine of prosperity will fade from our hearts and minds. We will graciously be granted to not only believe in Christ and the power of resurrection, but we will graciously be granted to suffer for His sake.

It's hard to rejoice when we are going through trials and tribulations. But I pray that all of us will learn and know that God is in control and His purpose, His Will, will be done in our lives and in this world. That is something to rejoice about! We may not see how things can work out in our sufferings...how it could be good, but God knows.