It’s Not About Me by Bryan Craig

“If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.” 2 Corinthians 1:6 ESV

Rick Warren’s bestselling book, The Purpose-Driven Life, from the early 2000’s had a great first line that grabbed my attention… God has a purpose for your life, and it’s not about you. What!?  How can my life not be about me.  It reminds me of a prayer Pete McKenzie shared with us one time.  “Lord, I know I’m not much, but I’m all I think about.”  As we go on this journey of being a disciple of Christ, one of the biggest lessons we have to learn is that there’s much more going on in our lives than we realize.  When we are living in our flesh, we measure everything by our circumstances.  We tend to think life is going well if we have great health, plenty of money, a happy marriage, healthy and thriving kids, a nice house with all the latest home décor, new, dependable cars, a few amazing vacations planned, etc. 

There might even be a few stretches (for a day or two) where it seems we’ve achieved this comfortable life.  Then, a circumstance, trial, challenge upsets our apple cart, and we are crying out to God for help.

Where did we get the idea that everything was supposed to be smooth sailing, anyway?  It didn’t come from the Bible or Jesus.

Just a few things we learn from the Bible:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”  James 1:2 ESV

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”  Philippians 3:8 ESV

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”  Matthew 16:24 ESV

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 ESV

You get the idea.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, the “man of many sorrows” came and showed us what an influential life really looked like and how to endure suffering.  And His desire is to forge us into disciples who look and act like Him. 

Ok, I will accept that.  However, the tendency is just to walk through life, without joy, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I’ve always hated the phrase, “You’re either coming out of storm, in a storm or heading into one.”  Ugh!  Can’t I have two weeks of sunshine on a cruise ship?

Recently, God showed me something that helped me.  My daughter was struggling with a health challenge.  She’s had quite a few health challenges in her short life.  Interestingly to me, she handles them pretty well, and they are motivating her to desire to become a Pediatrician so she can help sick kids.  I think she will do it!  Her life experiences, her intelligence and her passion are driving forces.  And I believe God has a hand in it all.

But I came across the passage in 2 Corinthians 1, right as she was discouraged and scared about some bloodwork that came back.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV

I connected this verse with her situation and God’s preparation for her to help others in the future.  She received it and it blessed her.  But a few days later, as I was going through my Journey group assignment for God is Able, God directed me to journal this verse again.  This time it helped me.

A few things jumped out at me in the Spirit:

• We will have afflictions. Yes, no matter how we try to avoid them.
• Afflictions are a pathway to God’s comfort.
• My afflictions ARE NOT ABOUT ME…Rick Warren was right…yes, trials and afflictions have greater purpose.
• When someone watches me go through an affliction and they see the comfort God brings me, it will help them when they go through suffering.
• I want to help others, so if I have to suffer to do so, it’s okay.

This may seem obvious or simple to you, but something shifted within me.  Rather than to dread suffering or try to pray it away, I can embrace it when it comes, knowing God will use it to bless others.

Paul learned this.  He talks about a “thorn in the flesh” that never seemed to go away.  He said this:

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Can I be sufficient in God’s grace?  Can I boast about my weaknesses?  Can I be content in insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities?    If I know that IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, and that it can help others, Yes, I can.

How about you?