Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8, NLT).
One of the great mysteries is why the perfect Son of God had to learn obedience through suffering. However, it is through His example that we learn to process the wounds of life as we march through our wilderness experiences. To think that, as Christians, we are exempt from the sufferings of life is naive and unscriptural. The goal of our heavenly Father is to develop us; unfortunately, this is often accomplished through our suffering, just as it was in the life of His Son. The good news is that we don’t have to be nailed to a cross; Jesus did that for us.
As in the life of Christ, suffering often comes through those that we love. Remember, His family thought He was out of His mind and actually wanted Him removed from the ministry that He was doing. Mark 3:21 says, “When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. ‘He’s out of his mind,’ they said” (NLT). At another time Jesus said, “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:36).
It is not unusual for our greatest pain to come from those we least expect: our church, family and our friends. Our responses range from desiring to run, needing validation for our position, looking for justification for our anger, and, ultimately, retaliating. After all, we are all “right” in our own eyes. Let’s be honest—it is easy to rehearse our pain to whomever will listen, which reinforces our right to wallow in our wounds. While these are natural responses, God wants us to stand still and learn obedience by letting His hand work in our lives.
Pain is frequently the result of misunderstanding, personal agendas, and personality clashes. Then there are the deep wounds in life such as the loss of a child, a spouse, a loved one, or a friend. There are financial losses, the loss of physical or mental health, and so many more. In my life, it was the pain inflicted by a friend that brought the crushing blow. Throughout the process, I was reminded that the crushing of a flower produces the sweetest fragrance.
The learning and healing process begins when we say, “Father, let this suffering produce obedience through forgiveness which will bring forth a sweet-smelling savor to you, Lord, a fragrant aroma to remain with me throughout my life.” When we allow God to do His perfect work in us, we can avoid the root of bitterness and the spirit of vindictiveness. We must leave the justice to God while we seek the lesson of obedience to the will of our heavenly Father.
“Father, thank you for the powerful example of your Son, who learned obedience through His suffering; may I, as Your servant, also learn to walk in obedience through the sufferings of my life. I place myself upon the altar to sacrifice my fleshly hurts and wounded emotions. Help me to extend forgiveness to those who need love and mercy. Amen.”
NOW CAN YOU GET ME OUT OF THE WILDERNESS!!! ( BEING REAL YALL )
