Suffering, Reality, and Ethan Mills
Suffering leads many to doubt their existing faith in God and seemingly prevents many from ever initially placing faith in God. For this reason, it is an important and touchy subject. Suffering comes between people and their faith for one of two reasons: either intellectual and emotional.
Someone who looks at suffering and has an intellectual problem with God would ask the question; "how does an all powerful and all good God co-exist with all the suffering in the world? Would not the all-powerful God have the ability to end suffering and the all-good God have the desire to do so?"
Someone who looks at suffering and has a personal problem with God would say; "I refuse to believe in God whether he exists or not. A God who could end suffering but doesn't is a malicious being and I will not trust him."
Everyone can think of a context when suffering has long-term or short-term purpose and/or benefit ; e.g., working out, discipline, working a non-fun job, school, and the idea of sacrificing one to save many. The real problem people have with suffering is when it seems to have no purpose, but rather seems pointless. this is the reason people often as the question "why? why me? why him?".Imagine I told you to go and look inside of my car and check if there is a dog in it. Upon a very short investigation, you would have decided very clearly whether or not there is a dog in the car. however, if i asked to go and check if there was a gnat, your search would but much more difficult, and, even if you couldn't find a gnat, you couldn't necessarily conclude that there is no gnat in the car, as they are small and very hard to find. i propose that the reasons behind suffering are more like the gnat than they are the dog. I therefore think that simply because we cannot plainly see God's reasons in suffering, we jump to the conclusion that there are none. Many people must admit that the life lessons that have best helped them and have shaped them into who they are today have come out of times of discomfort and suffering. "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good"--St. Paul
Reality. in reality, Christ does not promise us a happy life, but he does offer a joyful life. Happiness is what happens when kids get what they want a disneland and when you get a date with the hot girl. Joy is when your father dies but you know he is now with Jesus. As followers of Christ we must not expect an easy ride, for, in actuality, we are not even here for ourselves. Christians must be realists. God says that we will suffer with purpose.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord... but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God--St. Paul
I count the sufferings of this present time unworthy to be compared to the Glory that will be revealed in Heaven. Whatever we suffer for the sake of the Gospel will be not only worth it, but so infinitely minuscule in comparison to the Glory of God in heaven that they may even be forgotten once we arrive. Having a perspective of Gospel Christian realism will free us from asking "why?" and instead beckon us to ask "what?" and "who?" this is because we already know why: for the Gospel. the real question is "God, what are you teaching me?" and/or "God, who do you want me to reach through my suffering?"
We must break free from the illusion of Disneyland/fairyland/farm-ville/Happy days America and begin to live lifestyles of missionary sacrifice through suffering that will show the world that our treasure is actually in Heaven and not on Earth.
Ethan Mills
like you saw in the picture at the top, Ethan has the balls to calmly say 'im dyin'. Ethan has battled cancer 3 times, his third bout continuing as i type. On Monday the 22nd (two days ago), the doctor gave Ethan 3-4 months to live. Ethan is a man we can all learn from. Because of cancer (and his family as a result) has suffered and endured more in his 19 years of life than most of us will in our whole life. Yet, he maintains the faith. Ethan does not become depressed because he knows that this life is about God and not about him. Ethan does not complain for the world to see because he knows that doing so could harm the faith of others. Ethan instead reacts like a man of God to an impossible situation and in doing so functionally articulates and displays the Gospel, what all of life is all about. Ethan has been blessed with a faith that will without a doubt encourage and lift up others for years. Ethan will be able to suffer well, with a Gospel perspective, and therefore be a witness to the reality of God's sovereignty and goodness for all to see. The comforting reality is that God will heal Ethan. the hard reality is that it might not be until he arrives in heaven.
Ethan is a source of joy in the lives of many. He has been and will continue to be one of my best friends. Ethan's unshakable faith is an encouragement to me and to many others who know him. God has a plan for Ethan's life.
'God is my shepherd i won't be wanting'.
"i won't be wanting".
that is a hard pill for me to swallow right now.
1 comments:
yeah.. stuff like this is not easy at all.
Mark 8:34-38
Reminds me of the difference between my reality and God's reality.
There are two options we have for living/dying: living for Christ and the gospel or living for self.
There is definitely a need for change in the lives of luxury we have created for ourselves. Christ came to seek and save the lost. He lived that on a daily basis. He had sought the Lord's face before his ministry and during his ministry to understand exactly what the Lord was calling him too.. This allows him to know exactly what dying to self meant; know the difference between a servant and a master; and recognize how earthly glory cannot be compared to riches that await us in heaven.
But was does that really mean. Sacrifice. We are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and be rejected by this world. What application does that have in the real world? Is that for anyone else to tell you or for one to seek the Lord's face for an answer?
I remember a friend of mine commenting that he would be unwilling to work at a McDonalds (or low-valued or low-esteemed companies) even if it were his last option for a job. He was truly ashamed (in his own eyes)of working at such a low-level establishment. How easy is it to be ashamed of our lowly status in the eyes of man but not to be ashamed of our lowly status in the eyes of GOD? We often want and fear man's approval, when it has no bearing on eternal things. We freely hand our souls over for earthly gratification; we are far too easily pleased.
What are we giving our souls in exchange for? Are we fattening ourselves for the day of slaughter? Have the luxuries we afford ourselves the means of our destruction?
I pray that we would begin to understand how great our God is. Like Ethan, we do not know when the Lord will be calling us home yet we must begin today in seeking His face in order to to know what He wants to use our life for. But we know if we don't seek His face. We won't fulfill his will unless we give Him our souls.
How will I glorify my God today? Suffer; recognize it is God's will that rules the world and submit to Him. Easier said than done, but not improbable or impossible, simply a choice.
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