I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of suffering in his sufferings,
becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11 NIV

Becoming a Christian does not take away our problems. (Understatement, I know.)

Even though we believe on Christ, we are still stuck in this world. We will have a portion of all the good stuff and bad stuff that comes down the pike. Not only that, because of taking a stand for Jesus, we just might have more than our share of bad stuff. Families become divided when one person decides to live for Christ while the rest of their family decides to keep living for Satan. Christian communities come under attack by those who want to keep God out of our schools and municipalities. In some countries, it’s against the law to even mention the name of God or Christ. Even the liberal media in the U.S. and other countries consistently attack God's children.

But if we suffer for the cause of Christ, how glorious to know that we will also achieve the power of His resurrection. We will not die. We will live with God in Heaven for eternity. We can share in His resurrection!

The one thing I’ve come to see about suffering is that we are far more troubled about it than God is. Granted He doesn’t like it; but He does allow it. And that’s because, in the overall scope of eternity, our suffering only lasts a short time. True, it seems like a very long time to us, but in God’s time-frame, it’s short. At some time, all our suffering will end. All our pain will end. We will be healed, whole, and happy forever. That’s something to look forward to!!

The Bible says we are to count it all joy when we suffer for the cause of Christ. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. But knowing that we will also attain to the power of His resurrection makes it all worthwhile. Starting today, let your focus change from the pain of suffering to the joy of resurrection. Change your focus from failure to renewal. As you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, you will become the woman God wants you to be! Go do it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donna Rogers is team leader and contributing editor of Time Alone Daily Devotionals, a publication of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.
Copyright 2008 by Donna Rogers  
This was previously published in Time Alone Devotionals, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Liberty, Missouri. 

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