Guest Post by Ray Kingrea of Tree of Life Ministries
Pastor Kingrea writes “The Journey” posts daily via his Facebook page. Follow him on Facebook here.
The JOURNEY- Glad It’s Me – Col.1:24 MSG – “I want you to know how glad I am that it’s me sitting here in this jail and not you…”
I’ve had only a few times when I was glad to take someone else’s suffering on myself. I know I’m not as good a person as the Apostle Paul. I would like to think that, given the situation, I would definitely give myself for the Message of Christ, His Cross, and His Church.
Like any good parent, I’ve absolutely had times when I saw kids suffering that I’d wished I could take it. Paul was like a parent to the church. Guarding it with his life but He was more determined to share in the suffering of his Savior. I’ve never suffered to the point of the Apostle Paul and certainly haven’t to the point of my Savior. The little suffering I’ve had in life is so miniscule compared to what Christ has done for me and a speck in the Kingdom compared to what Paul and others have gone through.
If you’re down because of the suffering you’re going through, do a short comparison with Christ and others in the Kingdom. It will either make you glad to join in or it will frustrate you. If it frustrates you then you have much growing to do. If it makes you gladly appreciate the opportunity by saying “I’m glad it’s me…”, then you’re slowly maturing. The “jail” of suffering you’re in on the job, with family, sickness, and pain, emotional or mental abuse, attacks on you faith, are all part of the sharing. Sharing in order for us to realize on a small scale what Christ went through for us. For the cause of Christ Message, “I’m glad it’s me…”
