"Excelling in Suffering"
In life, it’s not if something happens, but when it does, how are you going to respond to your circumstances? Many times our unexpected situations catch us off guard and our natural instinct is to panic. Believe it or not, panicking is a relatively easy thing to do whenever lightning strikes. However, remaining calm, taking a deep breath, expecting the unexpected, and learning how to excel in our suffering is by far the most difficult thing to do during times of adversity. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:2, “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity,” and they exceeded their expectations of how they handled their own suffering. Likewise, the church of Jesus Christ needs to take a page out of their book and learn the art of excelling in our own suffering. The message below preached by Bishop David Martinez relates five points the church can do to excel in suffering, which includes:
1). Knowing that suffering will come, especially for Christians.
2). Learning how to find joy in the midst of our suffering by fixing your eyes on Jesus Christ; the Author and Finisher of our faith.
3). Always giving yourself first to the Lord no matter what you’re going through.
4). Don’t hit the panic button whenever unexpected trials occur.
5). Generosity; always giving out of what you have to include time, service, and money to the Lord and to his people.
These are the five ways Christians can excel in their suffering, and it is our prayer that the message will bless you! Remember, the only way to excel in your suffering is by putting the Word of God unto practice!