Philippians 1:29 – “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

When I was younger, I was afraid of needles. So, as you might expect, every time I went to the doctor and they had to draw blood it was an exercise in embarrassment. I would scream, holler, twist, and contort until I either gave out in exhaustion or someone had to hold me down. As inconvenient as it was for me, that’s the kind of fear you can live with as a little kid. You simply don’t have to give blood that often and if you don’t wander into any Doctor’s offices unprotected then it rarely comes up. However, even when the doctors said I would need to have my tonsils removed, I wasn’t bothered. Cutting something out of my body? Not a problem. I’m going to need like 7 shots?… hold on there Doc we got a problem. 

But really? I had no choice. If I was going to breathe correctly, if I was going to be healthy, if I was going to reach my potential then I was going to have to take those shots. In our walk with God, sometimes we run into the same problem. In the past, we’ve screamed and hollered, we’ve twisted and contorted trying to avoid the suffering of the cross. But eventually we come to a place where in order for us to be who God wants us to be we have to stop running.

Ghandi said

“Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:

- I shall not fear anyone on Earth.

- I shall fear only God.

- I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.

- I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.

- I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.”

If we’re going to live our best life for the Kingdom, we can’t let fear, suffering, or the fear of suffering turn us away from the fights God calls us to fight, the stands that he would have us to take, or the truth that he would have us to embody. Jesus calls from the cross to all of us, we have our own surgery ahead of us. But instead of our tonsils we’re signed up for a heart transplant. For the work to be complete, we’re all going to have to take some shots we’d rather avoid.

Father we come before you right now submitting to your will, Lord. We ask that you make us better. Make us fearless that we stand when you call us to stand, fight when you call us to fight, and be who you’ve called us to be. We will no longer run from what you have prescribed. Lord help us to not put our comfort before your call. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

By: Pastor J Wilson