“So, what is going on in your life?”
And I am prone to answer that my life is a mixture of joy and sadness.
Life is great and life is agony, at the same time often. And I think I am understanding more and more that this strange mixture of life is God-given, God-planned.
This morning as I read 2 Corinthians 1, I saw at least a partial explanation of this enigma.
(2 Corinthians 1:5 MSG) We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort–we get a full measure of that, too.
I didn’t read this in The Message but liked the punch that Peterson gives this text.
The ESV states:
(2 Corinthians 1:5 ESV) For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
This is a God thing: Share suffering of Christ, share the comfort of God.
A delicious blend of the activity of God in our lives. I am a more “comfort”able person than I was a year ago because God allowed the dagger of life to rip my heart open as I followed him. Anguish and great sadness, tremendous joy from the presence and healing of God.
Go figure.
But we can’t. All we can do is rely on God and keep following. In fact this is also part of the Plan.
(2 Corinthians 1:9 MSG) We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally–not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!
And, yes, I am now also more “reliable.” It is either trust God or not; believe him or not. The dagger comes and rips away self-reliance. Pain, anguish, tears and joy as my faith grows.
And I praise God.
