Stripped Away

"Remember what I told you: the servant is not greater than his master." - John 15:20

I recently read an article about people switching religions to find one in which they felt happier, which suited them better, and of course that rubbed me the wrong way. But then don't we all look for happiness and security? I know that our human instinct is to pray when things aren't looking too good, but are we praying because we somehow think that having a good relationship with God means happiness and blessings? Don't we all pray for good things in this life? But then how would we explain the fact that God's only beloved son was sent to a cross to die? And nobody prayed more than Jesus, nobody was better than Jesus, nobody has ever deserved anything better than Jesus, yet His life was ended sadly and violently.

What I'm trying to wrap my head around is that suffering doesn't mean abandonment from God, and someone having a mansion and my having a shack doesn't mean I'm less loved by God. On the contrary, suffering has to mean great love and attention from God because trials here on earth usually involve things we are attached to, like money and material things, and even if the suffering involves our health, we are still holding on to a false security on ourselves and this life and this flesh. Jesus had to die so God could raise Him up into the glorified person He was meant to be… and maybe you and I have to suffer so that we die to the pride, the envy, and even to the lack of trust we have in God. If our happiness depends on what we have and our own comfort, then our trust in God and the things we should value are padded by really thick pillows. God, in love through our suffering, strips everything away so that at the end, hopefully, we can see that everything can be taken away from us but if we trust in Him, then we have everything. We know we need to trust in Him, but how do we know that we do unless we live in the flesh this trust by allowing Him to give and then take away? If Jesus is the master, and we are the servants, let's not look for the happiness of this world, but for trust in God that will last and can be built upon… let's take a different approach to suffering and allow God to crucify our dependence on so many empty things, so that we can be happy in the new self God will resurrect within us.

Today's Prayer:
Father, I've been padding my cross because I'm scared to suffer. I'm scared to experience loss and find myself uncomfortable in any way. I ask Your help and protection in everything…and I wouldn't want to suffer, but if I have to for my own good, give me the strength, faith, and trust to persevere. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.