Brokenness and Submission

. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.  (Hebrews 5:8)

 

Jesus humbled Himself, and He became our High Priest. He glorified the Father by receiving His sufferings willingly. What a remarkable relationship they shared — so much so, that the death of the Son brought glory and praise to the Father. Could the Lord be calling us to die to ourselves as Jesus did? 

 

Perhaps the Lord allows just enough stress in our lives to drive us to our knees with cries of brokenness and submission. It may feel like defeat, but the child of God prays to the Father who is able to save us from death, and to bring us joy for every tear we shed. And truly, the Lord is glorified by the wonderful service we render to Him even through our sufferings!

 

Every Christian must make peace with the place suffering plays in our lives. This is a difficult and exquisite truth — we must die to live, and we must be crucified with Christ if we wish to receive resurrection life. The Lord will only rise in us when we lay our lives down, and He will only fill us when we are empty. If we say we see, we remain blind, and our earthly riches only make us poorer. These are the things we come to understand once we set our hearts toward heaven, and this is how we learn obedience and become more like Jesus — through suffering.

 

Let's Pray - Dear God, I am willing to go through all that is necessary to arrive at Christ-likeness. Help me to see every difficulty as an opportunity to give You glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.