Dealing with Suffering part 1

I was given a book recently called "Living Successfully with Chronic Illness". My first reaction to the book is laughter. Now I have not started reading the book yet and I am sure it will be helpful. But if you struggle with a chronic illness you will understand my response. People struggle with many things in life. When I was 14 I was diagnosed with Type one diabetes. Changed my life forever. The last year and really the last couple of months have been rough. Got some other health issues not related to the diabetes that they are trying to figure out. But the title of the book got me thinking, how should I as a Christian handle Chronic Illness or just plain suffering. Pain, suffering, illness, death, and a lot more is going to happen in our lives. I will be hontest, I have not all ways handled my bad health the best. It is so easy to go into self pity. I had a thought the other day. And I think it was from God. First, I believe that some people are just called to suffer. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10 "that is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in harships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong". Christ is Paul's

Christ's is Paul's every thing. The one he clings to. And we should all so do that.

Here is point number 2, and this is where I am at. We suffer so we can encourge others. Maybe I am called in this life to suffer to bring Him glory. Maybe not, but we should all encourage each other. Epically if we can understand what that person has gone through.

2 Corinthians 1 New International Version (NIV)

Praise to the God of All Comfort

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(H) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us^(I) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,^(J) so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;^(K) if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,^(L) so also you share in our comfort.

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed,^(M) brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced^(N) in the province of Asia.^(O) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,^(P) who raises the dead.^{(Q) 10} He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,^(R) and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope^(S) that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers.^(T) Then many will give thanks^(U) on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

This is part one, so stay tuned to the next post. Brain not working very well these days, well it never worked well any way.
Keep walking...