Worship As A Lifestyle

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power

is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side,

but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted,

but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

(2 Corinthians 4:7-9)

The longer I live, the more I come to understand that freedom and suffering usually go hand in hand. Take for instance, the freedom that we will celebrate tomorrow. Independence Day, 2011. The 4th of July! We celebrate our country’s freedoms, but one cannot truly appreciate the value of the freedoms we have without understanding that suffering was involved in gaining that freedom for us.

I’m coming to understand that suffering will always be a part of our earthly existence. Suffering comes from several sources: we may suffer as a result of our own sin, or of others sin, or, the most difficult to accept, our suffering may come from the hand of the Lord. Whatever the source, we are sure that Scripture teaches us that suffering is a part of God’s plan to mold us and shape us into all that He is creating us to be. It is a tool to cause us to hold loosely to the things of this earth and to help us yearn for Him and for “Home”!

When you boil it down, every great thing was born out of someone else’s suffering. How so? Well, for example, in order to perform the first heart transplant someone had to die! Braille was created for and is a help to the blind today because someone lost their sight. We would never be able to receive eternal life were it not for the suffering of our Savior.

May we never forget that freedom is really not free, it comes with a cost. So, my friend, as we celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country, let’s take a moment and celebrate the lives of those who fought and in some cases gave their lives gaining, protecting and defending our freedoms as Americans. And more than anything let this be another reminder of the freedom that God offers us in Christ, who gave the ultimate sacrifice to attain our freedom. And as we praise him let’s lift our voices with the “Song of the soul set free!!” Oh, the great joy of being free, as an American and much more than that, a Christian. To God be the glory. Happy Independence Day!

Pastor MJ