Suffering

Sooo...I really wanted to post on Friday about suffering, but by the time we went to church, watched The Passion as a family, I was really tired and went to be early. I had so much I wanted to write about on Good Friday...walking through His passion starting at the garden, and reflecting in each step...but I guess I'll just focus on suffering altogether [then again...I know I have notes somewhere on suffering as well...] and either write the post or save it for next Good Friday (if I'm still blogging, which I hope I will =).

-Oh but first I want to make a follow up to Thursday's washing of the feet.

9“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

There was an unclean man who did shortly after receive a bath of not only his feet, but his head, hands, entire body and soul.
 The guard who pierced Jesus's side...was showered in the blood and water of our Savior.

34One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. . . 36These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,”i 37and “They will look on the one they pierced.”j -John 19:34-37

"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us...Jesus, I trust in You."

Suffering

So I guess I'll just start by writing what usually comes to mind when I think of suffering. Suffering has a purpose. So many times we suffer and think, "Really God? What's the point in this? Why do I have to suffer and struggle with this?" and we become so focus on our selves, and our pain. But have you ever prayed through suffering? I don't mean only praying as you suffer, but using your suffering as a prayer. Perhaps the next time you're inclined to complain about a situation, think, "I'll do this joyfully, so that my one friend may come to know God better." Or perhaps while exercising, "I'll do five more of this exercise to pray for all the innocent lives scheduled to be killed today, for their mothers and families, and for the ones doing the procedure. Or maybe while being tempted by food, or any temptation, "I won't fall under this temptation, to pray for all those with power and leadership positions, that they may lead those under them morally and justly, guiding them to You, God." Or simply do any of the actions as a prayer of love and thanksgiving to God. Even suffering through a headache or any physical, mental or spiritual pain; if we can endure it not for ourselves, but for a certain person, prayer, or simply as an act of love to God, it gives it so much more purpose as well as takes our focus off of ourselves and the pain, and onto someone else, for a much greater purpose.

Think about the greatest suffering ever. The most agonizing torture to any man, was not in the least bit purposeless. In fact, that Suffering, gave us Salvation. And all through that Suffering...that Man did not think of Himself. He did it for us. And the hardest part is...we're the ones who put Him there. We've betrayed Him. We've denied Him. We've whipped, scourged, and gouged into him. We've spat on Him. We've pressed and pierced His head with thorns. We've caused Him to stagger. We've hammered nails into His hands onto a cross. We've killed Him. And He has endured it- for us.

That grave suffering was the most horrible, painful, gruesome, wonderful, loving, beautiful...and above all- most purposeful...than any other.
Whatever we are going through- no matter how difficult and painful- cannot even begin to measure what our Savior endured for us. Let us then find purpose in our own suffering, and endure it for Him.