Suffering Strength

PC: Nathan Hayashi

Migraine - Day 5. The surgery for Endometriosis that I’m waiting for could be another 5-6 months away.

Weary.

And yet . . . this is where Jesus is. Thank God . . . literally. :)

Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean the absence of suffering, in fact it may mean even more suffering. And I don’t mean migraines. I mean those things that God asks you to do in order to be obedient to Him. What are those things? Has He asked you to let go of something, release control, surrender your worries, let go of solving uncertainty?

When Jesus walked this earth, he was our up-close view of God.

He touched lepers, contagious lepers. He loved the culturally despised. He valued women when culture didn’t. He confronted the religious who were only concerned with how they ‘appeared’ to others. He challenged the rich to put their money where their mouth was and give their money away. He called adultery the same thing as a quick lusty glance at another person. He held up the black and white checklist of religious rules and challenged them with what lies underneath - in the invisible matters of the heart.

Jesus pursued people who felt unworthy.

Do you know what it means to be lovingly pursued and wanted by someone?

When a short man named Zacchaeus climbed into a tree in order to hear Jesus preach, Jesus suggested he climb down and they go hang out at Zac’s house. Imagine how that would have felt.

Jesus cared nothing for status, wealth, arrogance, entitled-ness. He paid attention to those who simply believed, who simply had faith. Education, status, religious robes, didn’t impress Jesus. Perfect church attendance, Bible knowledge, degrees, outward appearance and reputations meant nothing to Jesus when he inquired about the heart.

How is your heart?

Weary? Joyful? Fearful? Ashamed?

Jesus loves you. He loves me.

As I sit in a darkened house, blinds closed, ice pack on my head, feeling like I am contributing not much to this world, to friends and family or the greater needs of the world, I understand strength. Strength that God gives. It is life-giving, puts a smile on my migraine face. :)

As you face your own challenges today, call out to Jesus. He is there for you. He is pursuing your heart and He wants all of it. He wants you to choose Him over all other things, that your thoughts would be on Him, and no one else. He wants your heart - your whole heart!

Message me if you wanna talk about this more. I’d love to correspond with you .