Joy in Suffering

For the past week I have been looking at the concept of finding joy in suffering as part of the sermon at North Way this weekend. The appropriate understanding of suffering is important for all Christians regardless of their cultural context. God wants all of us to die to our selves and embrace the gospel message of Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus, we owe our whole lives to the Lord. Our time on earth is limited, so we should choose to focus our attention on things that have eternal consequences. Oscar Romero, a follower of Jesus who gave his life for the sake of others, understood what it means to suffer or even die for Christ. He wrote, "To each one of us Christ is saying: If you want your life and mission to be fruitful like mine, do as I. Be converted into seed that lets itself be buried. Let yourselves be killed. Do not be afraid. Those who shun suffering will remain alone. No one is more alone than the selfish. But if you give your life out of love for others, as I give mine for all, you will reap a great harvest. You will have the deepest satisfactions. Do not fear death or threats; the Lord goes with you." If all Christians lived with that kind of passionate pursuit of Jesus, this world would be dramatically transformed in a very good way.