Together # 60
A Together for Perseverance
A Together for Perseverance
Face & Endure Hardship Together
copyright by Dick Wulf, 2018
Help one another with the difficulties of the Christian life. Troubles are to be expected, but they are much easier to face together.
Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32; Acts 14:21-22;
1 Cor 13:6-7; 2 Cor 6:4-5; 1 Peter 1:6; Rev 2:1,3
Many hardships of daily life and serving the Lord are too difficult for individuals to handle alone. Knowing this, God wants us to face trouble and hardship together. Some of life’s normal difficulties and ministry assignments will overwhelm individual Christians but be easier for those same individuals in their biblically obedient friendships, families and marriages.
It appears that 3 of the Togethers are quite similar, yet different in emphasis. “Face and Endure Hardship Together” has to do with the difficulties of everyday living and serving God, not those stemming from someone’s sin. “Carry One Another’s Burdens” relates to helping one another face the consequences of sins. And “Face Discipline and Judgment Together” focuses on cooperating with God’s redemptive process in each of us and, occasionally, all of us corporately.
Troubles and hardships are normal for everyone. Once Jesus entered into ministry He was constantly facing trouble and hardship. Any Christian who does not face trouble or hardship over a month’s time is probably not following Jesus very closely.
Most hardships come from the requirements of everyday life. As an example, some Christians work hard to condition their bodies for athletic competition. Still, others have to go through rehab to bring their bodies back to just normal functioning. Pushing our bodies is the way they become stronger.
Hardships also come when we accept difficult assignments from the Lord. Think of missionaries who have to learn a new language to be able to share the gospel in another culture. That is not at all easy. And, those missionaries have to change some of their automatic behaviors that would be offensive in the new culture. That can be more than hard. Like them, we are to take on tough tasks for God and face and endure the hardships that accompany those assignments. Together!
In facing trouble and enduring hardship together within sinful culture, we help one another deal with hardship God’s way. Suffering is in many biblical formulas for growing spiritually.
It appears that 3 of the Togethers are quite similar, yet different in emphasis. “Face and Endure Hardship Together” has to do with the difficulties of everyday living and serving God, not those stemming from someone’s sin. “Carry One Another’s Burdens” relates to helping one another face the consequences of sins. And “Face Discipline and Judgment Together” focuses on cooperating with God’s redemptive process in each of us and, occasionally, all of us corporately.
Troubles and hardships are normal for everyone. Once Jesus entered into ministry He was constantly facing trouble and hardship. Any Christian who does not face trouble or hardship over a month’s time is probably not following Jesus very closely.
Most hardships come from the requirements of everyday life. As an example, some Christians work hard to condition their bodies for athletic competition. Still, others have to go through rehab to bring their bodies back to just normal functioning. Pushing our bodies is the way they become stronger.
Hardships also come when we accept difficult assignments from the Lord. Think of missionaries who have to learn a new language to be able to share the gospel in another culture. That is not at all easy. And, those missionaries have to change some of their automatic behaviors that would be offensive in the new culture. That can be more than hard. Like them, we are to take on tough tasks for God and face and endure the hardships that accompany those assignments. Together!
In facing trouble and enduring hardship together within sinful culture, we help one another deal with hardship God’s way. Suffering is in many biblical formulas for growing spiritually.
. . . , but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3,4
suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3,4
Unlike the non-Christian world, which often teaches that each person must deal with his or her own problems of life independently, God says that Christians must face trouble and hardship together. The kingdom of heaven has a very effective way of handling the inevitable hardships of life in a sinful culture. Every Christian’s more serious hardships are to be handled with help from other Christians. Otherwise, there is the danger that an individual become overwhelmed.
This Together relates to hardships that are a normal part of life and not because of our sin. Serious illness, lack of employment, raising difficult children, problems with non-Christian family members, car trouble, and a host of other heartaches and troubles are not necessarily linked to sin, but they are still hardships to be faced together.
Even before there was sin in the world, Adam and Eve were to face together the hardship of not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Once the serpent turned God’s request into a perceived deprivation, it was a hardship too tough for one perfect individual to face alone. Unfortunately, Eve tried to face this hardship without Adam’s help. The difficult choice presented by the devil needed both parents of the human race to solve together. Even though there was no sin yet, life had its difficulties and needed to be handled with help.
Christian friendships, Christian families and Christian marriages have great power to deal with hardships of all kinds. Fortunately, it is in these up-close and personal relationships that the hardships of others will be seen. That is why God tells us to face and endure hardship together. Troubles will be revealed in Christian Inner Circles and the power of Christian relationships can face and endure them with shared responsibility.
A Christian who closely follows Jesus has difficulties that we correctly label “our crosses to bear.” These crosses cannot be the result of our sinfulness, because it refers to Jesus carrying his cross, and He had not sinned and not yet taken our sins upon Himself.
This Together relates to hardships that are a normal part of life and not because of our sin. Serious illness, lack of employment, raising difficult children, problems with non-Christian family members, car trouble, and a host of other heartaches and troubles are not necessarily linked to sin, but they are still hardships to be faced together.
Even before there was sin in the world, Adam and Eve were to face together the hardship of not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Once the serpent turned God’s request into a perceived deprivation, it was a hardship too tough for one perfect individual to face alone. Unfortunately, Eve tried to face this hardship without Adam’s help. The difficult choice presented by the devil needed both parents of the human race to solve together. Even though there was no sin yet, life had its difficulties and needed to be handled with help.
Christian friendships, Christian families and Christian marriages have great power to deal with hardships of all kinds. Fortunately, it is in these up-close and personal relationships that the hardships of others will be seen. That is why God tells us to face and endure hardship together. Troubles will be revealed in Christian Inner Circles and the power of Christian relationships can face and endure them with shared responsibility.
A Christian who closely follows Jesus has difficulties that we correctly label “our crosses to bear.” These crosses cannot be the result of our sinfulness, because it refers to Jesus carrying his cross, and He had not sinned and not yet taken our sins upon Himself.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
It was definitely hard for Jesus to die on the cross for us. He did not want to do it alone and asked his disciples to be with Him. There was even someone who picked up and carried our Lord’s cross when it became too much for His tortured body. The hardship of the cross was not because of sin, as our Lord was without sin. And, it was not a discipline or judgment of God. It was a ministry of God’s love for us.
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matt 16:24
“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Matt 10:38
“Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matt 16:24
“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Matt 10:38
Carrying our crosses is a hard thing to do. It is serving others in difficult ways. But, carrying our crosses of difficulties and tough assignments is not to be lonely or too much for us because there should be other Christians to face and endure the hardships with us.
Long-term hardship must be faced by a person with his or her inner circle of Christian friends, Christian family members and Christian spouse. One example of this would be a long term illness which has no promise of recovery. After the situation has been diagnosed as chronic and terminal, waiting can be unbearable for the one who is stricken as well as for that person’s caregivers. God places the responsibility of facing these hardships squarely on other Christians.
When the Apostle John was mysteriously carried up to heaven, he wrote that Jesus said this to the angel of the church in Ephesus:
Long-term hardship must be faced by a person with his or her inner circle of Christian friends, Christian family members and Christian spouse. One example of this would be a long term illness which has no promise of recovery. After the situation has been diagnosed as chronic and terminal, waiting can be unbearable for the one who is stricken as well as for that person’s caregivers. God places the responsibility of facing these hardships squarely on other Christians.
When the Apostle John was mysteriously carried up to heaven, he wrote that Jesus said this to the angel of the church in Ephesus:
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. . . . You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.”
Rev 2:1,3
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The history of the early Christians tell how important it was that they be able to face and endure hardship together.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Acts 2:44-45
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
Acts 4:32
They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Acts 14:21-22
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; . . .
2 Cor 6:4-5
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In the rare cases where a person’s organizational church has taught that everyone needs Christian friends and family to live the Christian life with them, such hardship will be faced and endured within biblical guidelines. Unfortunately, in most cases Christians must do this without the help of church leadership for anything but the most dire of circumstances.
For example, Christian friendship groups dedicated to Jesus are invaluable when there is loss of a loved one. Many people are available right after the death. But a year later, when the real loneliness and isolation begins to persist, only Christian friends and family will still be around on a regular basis. The organizational church will have done its initial responsibilities, but the long term help will be the privileged responsibility of the grieving person’s Christian Inner Circle.
Let’s always remember to bring in those Christians we are closest to when things of life and service get too difficult.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
For example, Christian friendship groups dedicated to Jesus are invaluable when there is loss of a loved one. Many people are available right after the death. But a year later, when the real loneliness and isolation begins to persist, only Christian friends and family will still be around on a regular basis. The organizational church will have done its initial responsibilities, but the long term help will be the privileged responsibility of the grieving person’s Christian Inner Circle.
Let’s always remember to bring in those Christians we are closest to when things of life and service get too difficult.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Lester was someone everyone looked to for help because he was outgoing and had a strong personality. However, Lester would get irritated that his plans were often interrupted by the crises of others. He became less outgoing to those in his church, especially those with economic problems. They were the ones who always had something break with no money for repairs. Lester seemed to always be fixing someone’s refrigerator, washing machine, or something else.
Ron saw his friend Lester’s frustration with being approached so often to help with the mechanical troubles of others. Ron himself was not at all skilled that way, but knew he could use the education and might be of some help to Lester. Yet, something else was in the back of his mind. He knew that the Holy Spirit was trying to give him counsel. Soon he understood the message was that helping others with their troubles was what Jesus did all the time, and this was a good opportunity to become more like his Lord. Study of the Bible showed Ron that Christians are to face and endure hardship together. Lester was doing this by repairing things for others. In turn, Ron could face and endure Lester’s hardship of helping so many others. He was excited to see this as a chance to become more like Jesus. He also helped Lester see how much he was like Jesus in being so available to others in their needs. Ron asked if he could go along and be Lester’s helper as he helped others. This lifted some of Lester’s burden because he enjoyed being with Ron. Eventually Ron learned a lot and could even repair household appliances on his own to give Lester time for other things. |
Jesus spent almost all of His time facing and enduring the hardships of others. He was constantly helping people with sickness, even the hardship of hunger during long periods of being taught by Him. But, the primary purpose of Jesus’ life was to face and endure with us the hardship of our own sin. Even after we have been freed from slavery to sinfulness, our Lord patiently joins us in our struggle to let go of sin.
We become more like Jesus when we, like Him, face and endure the hardships of others. And, when we let others face and endure our hardships with us, we allow them the opportunity to grow their spirits to be more like the spirit of Jesus. To not bring others in to help us face difficult hardships is to deny them an opportunity to become more like Christ. God decided humans were to be interdependent, and we must not reject God’s decree. We need to respect his lordship and obey. We need to help and we need to ask for help.
To become like Jesus with respect to facing and enduring hardships together, we must help one another fight the sin of pride. Pride keeps us from letting others walk with us through the difficult parts of life, thwarting God’s attempt to make us all more like Jesus. Romans 8:29 says that God’s purpose is to mold us into the image of His Son. Not bringing others in to help us when life gets tough works against God’s plan for our sanctification. Not facing and enduring with others their hardships abandons God’s best way for us to live and invites failure.
The culture of this world elevates self-sufficiency above the ways of the kingdom of heaven where help is to be available, requested, and given. We must remember that we are no longer truly of this world but have become citizens of heaven. Citizens of heaven will all act like Jesus to the extent they have allowed the Holy Spirit to mold them.
Jesus is constantly asking us to do things for him. Every instruction in the Bible for our interaction with people is a request coming from Jesus. Jesus wants to help people who have troubles, whether from life’s difficulties or arising from Christian service. Our Lord wants our help with those doing difficult things. We don’t need to worry about being overwhelmed because other Christians should step up to face and endure our difficulty in going through trouble with someone else.
To help others with their difficulties, whether or not they ask us, is to be like Jesus . If they are struggling, it is our joy to face and endure hardship and trouble with them. Just like Jesus does with us.
Opportunity to Worship God
We become more like Jesus when we, like Him, face and endure the hardships of others. And, when we let others face and endure our hardships with us, we allow them the opportunity to grow their spirits to be more like the spirit of Jesus. To not bring others in to help us face difficult hardships is to deny them an opportunity to become more like Christ. God decided humans were to be interdependent, and we must not reject God’s decree. We need to respect his lordship and obey. We need to help and we need to ask for help.
To become like Jesus with respect to facing and enduring hardships together, we must help one another fight the sin of pride. Pride keeps us from letting others walk with us through the difficult parts of life, thwarting God’s attempt to make us all more like Jesus. Romans 8:29 says that God’s purpose is to mold us into the image of His Son. Not bringing others in to help us when life gets tough works against God’s plan for our sanctification. Not facing and enduring with others their hardships abandons God’s best way for us to live and invites failure.
The culture of this world elevates self-sufficiency above the ways of the kingdom of heaven where help is to be available, requested, and given. We must remember that we are no longer truly of this world but have become citizens of heaven. Citizens of heaven will all act like Jesus to the extent they have allowed the Holy Spirit to mold them.
Jesus is constantly asking us to do things for him. Every instruction in the Bible for our interaction with people is a request coming from Jesus. Jesus wants to help people who have troubles, whether from life’s difficulties or arising from Christian service. Our Lord wants our help with those doing difficult things. We don’t need to worry about being overwhelmed because other Christians should step up to face and endure our difficulty in going through trouble with someone else.
To help others with their difficulties, whether or not they ask us, is to be like Jesus . If they are struggling, it is our joy to face and endure hardship and trouble with them. Just like Jesus does with us.
Opportunity to Worship God
Pastor Sanders really challenged his church last Sunday. It is going to be interesting to see how many people do not come to church next week.
After teaching in his sermon that Christians are to face and endure hardship together, and that this is worship that the church intends to do, he asked the congregation to do two things. First, he asked people to commit to helping others in the church with hard things that life has thrown at them. Pastor Sanders then had church deacons pass out slips of paper for people to sign and hand in as a commitment to be available to face and endure hardship with other church members, even if they had their own troubles. If they were ready to commit themselves to Christ in this way, they were to write down their names and phone numbers. Then, Pastor Sanders had deacons pass out different slips of paper for people to let church leadership know that they faced a hardship that they would like others to face with them. He explained that it could be some overwhelming safety improvement needed in their home, some difficult task they were doing for God, some difficult relationship problem that needed to be resolved, or anything else that seemed too hard. The deacons then began to match people up to hardships. Pastor Sanders explained that the church would do this twice a year, kind of like Spring and Fall cleaning at home. However, forms were made available for people who had not signed up previously to commit to serve others or ask for help at any time they were ready to do so. |
When we step in and help out with hardships and difficulties, we do the same thing God does constantly. Therefore, since it reflects back to Him his own character, it is worship.
God faces and endures with every believer in her or his hardships. Therefore, to make the most of this opportunity to worship, let’s not just surround ourselves with Christians who have uncomplicated lives. Let’s actually seek out other Christians who are overburdened. To keep this from overwhelming a few believers so dedicated to God, Christians need to bring others into the process of facing and enduring hardship.
Responsible church leadership will not just give a sermon and hope that people will step up to obey this desire of God for His people to face and endure one another’s hardships. They need to do more than just teach it. Leadership goes further than sermons and teaching. Responsible church leadership offers challenges and exhorts the believers under their care to growing commitment to Jesus and putting worship into their lifestyles.
God faces and endures with every believer in her or his hardships. Therefore, to make the most of this opportunity to worship, let’s not just surround ourselves with Christians who have uncomplicated lives. Let’s actually seek out other Christians who are overburdened. To keep this from overwhelming a few believers so dedicated to God, Christians need to bring others into the process of facing and enduring hardship.
Responsible church leadership will not just give a sermon and hope that people will step up to obey this desire of God for His people to face and endure one another’s hardships. They need to do more than just teach it. Leadership goes further than sermons and teaching. Responsible church leadership offers challenges and exhorts the believers under their care to growing commitment to Jesus and putting worship into their lifestyles.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Eph 4:11-13
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Since people seem to join churches with people just like themselves, those with the most difficult lives may be in churches filled with people also facing too many hard, uphill battles. Therefore, Christians with resources should be on the lookout at work or in their neighborhoods for Christians less well-off financially or overburdened in one way or another. This is a worship opportunity too good to ignore.
Yes, we will make our lives more harder by facing the difficulties of others and enduring those difficult situations with them. But, it is worship of God and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can be extremely joyful. Don’t you think that it gives God more joy if we help others as He helps us than to just sing Christian praise and worship songs? Fortunately, we can do both, but let’s not avoid the more demanding worship.
God has given many of us the strength and resources to face and endure the hardships of others with them. When we do so, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own endurance with us in the difficulties of life.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Yes, we will make our lives more harder by facing the difficulties of others and enduring those difficult situations with them. But, it is worship of God and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can be extremely joyful. Don’t you think that it gives God more joy if we help others as He helps us than to just sing Christian praise and worship songs? Fortunately, we can do both, but let’s not avoid the more demanding worship.
God has given many of us the strength and resources to face and endure the hardships of others with them. When we do so, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own endurance with us in the difficulties of life.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
The Gonzalez Family wanted to show their neighborhood the power of Jesus Christ in the lives of His people. They prayed about this in family meetings for a few months before they heard from the Lord how they were to go about this. They heard Jesus answer when one of the children brought up an idea that others said was in the back of their minds and on the tips of their tongues. Surely, God was talking to them!
Here is what they did as a family dedicated to their Lord Jesus. First they invited to their home Christians they knew who lived within a four-block area. After a barbeque, they sat down with everyone, adults and kids alike. The Gonzalez family explained that Christians are distinguished by extraordinary love for one another. They quoted John 13:35. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Then they spoke of the Bible verses that instructed Christians to face and endure hardship together. Finally, they invited the others to do something to show the neighborhood that they were clearly disciples of Jesus. Once people embraced this teaching of Scripture, the Gonzalez family asked if the other families would be willing to share the difficult things they were facing so that all the families could face them together. A second meeting was set up for those willing to be in on this neighborhood witness of Jesus Christ in their lives. At the second meeting, attended only by those willing to be a part, plans were made to tackle together their various difficulties. For example, one elderly couple was having a hard time getting rid of snow and ice on their driveway and sidewalks. That will now be taken care of by other families. Another couple needed time for their relationship to strengthen and the older couple agreed to watch their children every other Tuesday night. One working couple had trouble finding the time to tutor their son who was having trouble with math. This was taken off their hands by a neighbor who had time and a masters degree in engineering. Boy, did that neighborhood notice when these things came out in conversations over the year. Satan was defeated in his strategy to overwhelm the neighborhood believers and make them ineffective examples to their neighbors. And, there has also been an increase in curiosity about Christianity. |
In his strategy to dishonor God, the devil creates mild to very painful troubles and hardships for us to deal with in daily life. Few of us have a smooth life. Much difficulty comes from the sin that Satan sowed in the world way back in the Garden of Eden. That departure from the will of God and His best ways of living has festered for thousands and thousands of years. And, so, cars break down, money does not stretch far enough, kids don’t want to do their chores, weather causes damage, and the list could go on and on. This is life. It is not heaven. But, it is a chance to be in God’s war with the devil. Hopefully, we have not become so addicted to peace that we do not want to fight the spiritual war to which we have been called.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Eph 6:10-13
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We see this conflict between God and Satan vividly in chapters one and two in the book of Job in the Bible. God ordered Satan to visit heaven, from which he was banned, so that God could humiliate the devil by showing him the righteousness of a man named Job. Satan’s response was to ask God’s permission to cause Job terrible suffering. From this we can see that the evil one’s attacks of hardship and trouble have the aim of showing God that his people, when it comes right down to it, do not really reverence and trust Him.
While short of what Job faced, most of us who have tried to do something significant to bring glory to God have felt the attack of Satan. Sadly, some of us, seeing that to stand up for God is likely to invite the devil’s opposition in the form of trouble and hardship, have resisted doing something hard for God. These Christians are passive participants in their churches, since it seems going to church services is hardly a threat to Satan. Yet, all around them in those church services are believers struggling with life alone, without enough other Christians walking alongside them. If we face and endure hardship together as a team, more believers will step up to action in spite of any opposition from the devil.
When we open ourselves up for trouble and hardship, we must be able to count on other Christians to face and endure the hardship with us. Likewise, we need to be sure to face and endure the hardships of others with them. This Together is critical if we are to fight evil and defeat the devil. We cannot look the other way. Nor can our closest Christian friends, families and spouses shirk their duty to stand with us in the face of trouble.
God needs Christians to be brave and come forth to face and endure hardship with one another. We need to put our lives in God’s hands rather than trying to avoid the difficulties of those in our Christian Inner Circles and a few other believers without a support system in the faith. If we are overwhelmed by our own hardships, probably because other Christians are not facing and enduring them with us. God’s plan is for hardships to be dealt with together with other Christians. Then, our difficulties of life are not overwhelming because of the help of others and their difficulties are not overwhelming because of help from us.
Often when Christians face and endure hardships together they often warn one another against things that might continue hardship or cause new difficulties. Perhaps a busy family is considering buying a bigger, more luxurious house. Those in their Christian Inner Circle can bring up the additional workload they would be creating. In not buying such a large house with its increased upkeep, a better decision can be made and hardship averted.
Obviously, the relationships in large Christian fellowships can only do a little to help people face and endure hardship. Those relationships can only be superficial, even though necessary. That is why we Christians must develop our Christian friendships, our Christian families, and our Christian marriages to step up to the plate whenever there are serious troubles.
Many of the other Togethers are the means of facing and enduring hardship together. And, each of them adds to the defeat of Satan.
Every time that we endure to the end with someone facing normal difficulties of life or voluntary hardships in serving God – we defeat Satan. Because God is so precious to us, we should savor each and every victory.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
While short of what Job faced, most of us who have tried to do something significant to bring glory to God have felt the attack of Satan. Sadly, some of us, seeing that to stand up for God is likely to invite the devil’s opposition in the form of trouble and hardship, have resisted doing something hard for God. These Christians are passive participants in their churches, since it seems going to church services is hardly a threat to Satan. Yet, all around them in those church services are believers struggling with life alone, without enough other Christians walking alongside them. If we face and endure hardship together as a team, more believers will step up to action in spite of any opposition from the devil.
When we open ourselves up for trouble and hardship, we must be able to count on other Christians to face and endure the hardship with us. Likewise, we need to be sure to face and endure the hardships of others with them. This Together is critical if we are to fight evil and defeat the devil. We cannot look the other way. Nor can our closest Christian friends, families and spouses shirk their duty to stand with us in the face of trouble.
God needs Christians to be brave and come forth to face and endure hardship with one another. We need to put our lives in God’s hands rather than trying to avoid the difficulties of those in our Christian Inner Circles and a few other believers without a support system in the faith. If we are overwhelmed by our own hardships, probably because other Christians are not facing and enduring them with us. God’s plan is for hardships to be dealt with together with other Christians. Then, our difficulties of life are not overwhelming because of the help of others and their difficulties are not overwhelming because of help from us.
Often when Christians face and endure hardships together they often warn one another against things that might continue hardship or cause new difficulties. Perhaps a busy family is considering buying a bigger, more luxurious house. Those in their Christian Inner Circle can bring up the additional workload they would be creating. In not buying such a large house with its increased upkeep, a better decision can be made and hardship averted.
Obviously, the relationships in large Christian fellowships can only do a little to help people face and endure hardship. Those relationships can only be superficial, even though necessary. That is why we Christians must develop our Christian friendships, our Christian families, and our Christian marriages to step up to the plate whenever there are serious troubles.
Many of the other Togethers are the means of facing and enduring hardship together. And, each of them adds to the defeat of Satan.
Every time that we endure to the end with someone facing normal difficulties of life or voluntary hardships in serving God – we defeat Satan. Because God is so precious to us, we should savor each and every victory.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
After her sister died at age 27 in a tragic car crash, Ramona and her husband Jose began thinking about heaven and wondering what life was like for Ramona’s sister now that she was there. Eventually, they began to realize that heaven’s benefits could be expanded by preparation now.
Jose and Ramona searched for and found the website www.ChristiansTogether.org and studied how obedience to each of the 65 Togethers of Scripture would prepare them to experience more in heaven. They decided to start with the Together representing God’s instruction in the Bible for Christians to face and endure hardship together. Jose and Ramona already knew that they were to be each other’s primary helper in life because they were married. Focusing on facing and enduring hardship together opened their eyes to much more significant ways they needed each other. Jose was a quiet person unused to telling his struggles to anyone. But. he began to tell Ramona many things she could face and patiently endure with him until solutions came. Ramona was surprised at what Jose told her. Ramona was just the opposite. She was an overly emotional person from whom Jose often disconnected to keep from being overwhelmed. After this was analyzed, Ramona began to tone down her expression of things that were bothering her. Now the two of them are really helpful to each other. |
Learning to stand with and help others in facing hard things now is great preparation for heaven. Obeying the Scriptures that indicate we are to face and endure hardship together will change our spirits, who we truly are down deep inside, to better fit into service for God in heaven.
It is not difficult to understand what it means to face and endure hardships with one another, but to encourage you to really put some effort into it, remember that there are eternal benefits to the level that you face and endure hardships with others. You can qualify yourself for a much better career in heaven for all eternity if you align your spirit with taking care of God’s people. You will be able to hear God’s voice more clearly because your spirit will be better tuned in to what He asks you to do. And, you will be more appreciated by God for helping others, and receive special attention and affection from God in whatever heavenly form that appreciation will take.
In heaven, God will want us to serve others in one capacity or another. Jesus said that He will reward us based on what we have done. Consider that in heaven people will be very important to God. He is to be the most important Person in heaven, but next in priority are the citizens, people for whom God sent His Son to die on the cross so that they could be in heaven. God cares for His people and takes care of Christians largely through their service to one another. Everyone in heaven will serve God and others in one way of another.
It should not be surprising that heaven will have difficulties. Just because there will be no sin does not mean that some of the sinless things there will not be hard. We are used to thinking that hardships always come from problems. But, skiing, auto mechanics, and knitting are hardships that come from challenges we undertake and are not consequences of bad behavior or bad things.
In heaven, if we want to learn to quilt or knit, it will be hard. It will be easier than it would be now since there will be no sinful distractions or self-condemnation. But, it will be a challenge, and we would want it to be. Otherwise, heaven would be pretty boring.
For example, there may be hardware stores in heaven. Why wouldn’t there be? Building things and having things wear out over the endless years of eternity has nothing to do with sin. So, the absence of sin in heaven does not mean the absence of problems not coming from sin.
Someone will have to run the hardware store with God’s loving concern for customers. Also, someone will have to sweep the floors and keep the store looking like it belongs in heaven. The position of store manager will require someone with a spirit that automatically puts people’s needs above her or his own, developed by obedience to various Togethers before she or he died, facing and enduring hardship being one of them. But, the store custodian will not need such a strong spirit and will likely be someone who barely faced and endured hardship with others.
Hopefully, you would prefer to spend eternity as the store manager. The store custodian will be just as content in that job as you would be as manager. The question is, in what position would you like to serve God?
Most likely, if those two choices were yours, the Holy Spirit would want you to develop your spirit to care more about people than floors because God cares more about people than floors. Don’t be worried that there will not be anyone to sweep floors. There will be plenty of Christians who did not care that much about others with spirits only qualified to sweep floors. Hopefully, you would like to manage the hardware store and see that people, not floors, are helped with do-it-yourself projects.
Regarding facing troubles and hardships together to advance our spirits more into the kingdom of heaven, there seem to be three categories. First, there are hard things we must do just to live, not easy like cooking, but difficult like cooking a big holiday meal; not easy like putting gas in the car, but troublesome like taking care of a flat tire. Second, there is the difficulty of challenges we take on, like exercising to lose weight or taking up a new sport. And, third, there are troubles and problems when we help others, like disciplining children, teaching an immigrant English, and leading a Bible study.
With such troubles and hardships of daily life, we need one another’s help. We need to face and endure together. This is especially true when the hardship is long-term, like an illness, mourning a death, education, and dealing with unemployment and unexpected debt.
We help each other deal with hardship through shared faith, hope, love, and other spiritual powers. We do not deal with hardship as the world does. We pray to a God we know personally and ask for guidance about what to do, whether that be praying that God supply something or Jesus telling us to do something. We allow God’s power into the situation, trusting Him, and not just superstitiously going through some ritual to gain His blessing. We wait upon God, never giving up hope or washing our hands of the situation in hopelessness.
All of these things we must do together to please God who told us to face and endure hardship together. But, in doing so, we are preparing ourselves for higher places of service in heaven, for greater ability to hear God in heaven, and for God’s appreciation in heaven.
In heaven, all of us will need help with things that are hard for us. No problem there, because many will want to help us. But, those most able to help others in heaven will be those who helped others regularly before death face and endure hardship. In assigning to each of us our reward as a place of service for God in heaven, the King will look at our resumes. The better jobs of dealing with people will go to those who stepped up to help others when life got difficult.
To prepare yourself in this way for heaven, analyze what hardships others are going through. Start with those in your family and then proceed to those in your Christian Inner Circle. Make a list of their struggles and sufferings related to regular life.
It can be difficult to stay focused on just the difficulties of living. Ignore for now troubles your Christians friends and relatives are facing because they acted contrary to God or troubles brought into their lives by God to disciple them to greater faith. Just list hardships related to the normal problems of life.
Use this list first in praying for them over time. If there is any way that you can walk alongside them as they deal with a hardship, be with them physically or show your support on the phone, in texts, or by email. If there is anything you can do to provide something needed, either your effort or your resources, ask God if He wants you to do so. And always continue praying, bringing their need before the Lord.
Often people will not let you know what hardships they are facing. Because of individualistic culture, people don’t think of asking others for help, sometimes even in the most dire situations. So, ask those in your Christian Inner Circle what they are going through. Sometimes if you ask what you can pray for, they will tell you about hardships. But, you can just plain ask what things are troublesome for them, mentioning the biblical importance of facing and enduring hardship together.
Another way that you can get people to tell you the hardships they are facing is to tell them yours and ask for their prayers and support. It is important for us to ask other Christians to help us with the difficulties of life and service. Get over thinking that you need to stand on your own two feet all of the time. God will get much joy when we show one another love through facing hardship and trouble together.
We must not forget that preparing for heaven is also to seek out other Christians to go through our hardships with us. Doing this helps destroy pride. Pride cuts off so many benefits of living with God and His people that they are too numerous to list. Letting others face and endure our hardships paves the way for asking other citizens in heaven for help with hard things there. We should want to go to heaven with excited anticipation of its vast opportunities, adventures that will cause us to need others facing and enduring whatever hardships present themselves along the journey.
For example, imagine in heaven wanting to finally be able to read music and play a musical instrument. This will be easy for some, but very difficult for many others. Those who will have a difficult time of it will greatly appreciate that they possess spirits not too proud to ask for help.
Let’s get ready for heaven. Look for someone facing difficulty serving God and face the hard things with her or him. And invite those in your Christians Inner Circle to help you with the tough things you face.
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
It is not difficult to understand what it means to face and endure hardships with one another, but to encourage you to really put some effort into it, remember that there are eternal benefits to the level that you face and endure hardships with others. You can qualify yourself for a much better career in heaven for all eternity if you align your spirit with taking care of God’s people. You will be able to hear God’s voice more clearly because your spirit will be better tuned in to what He asks you to do. And, you will be more appreciated by God for helping others, and receive special attention and affection from God in whatever heavenly form that appreciation will take.
In heaven, God will want us to serve others in one capacity or another. Jesus said that He will reward us based on what we have done. Consider that in heaven people will be very important to God. He is to be the most important Person in heaven, but next in priority are the citizens, people for whom God sent His Son to die on the cross so that they could be in heaven. God cares for His people and takes care of Christians largely through their service to one another. Everyone in heaven will serve God and others in one way of another.
It should not be surprising that heaven will have difficulties. Just because there will be no sin does not mean that some of the sinless things there will not be hard. We are used to thinking that hardships always come from problems. But, skiing, auto mechanics, and knitting are hardships that come from challenges we undertake and are not consequences of bad behavior or bad things.
In heaven, if we want to learn to quilt or knit, it will be hard. It will be easier than it would be now since there will be no sinful distractions or self-condemnation. But, it will be a challenge, and we would want it to be. Otherwise, heaven would be pretty boring.
For example, there may be hardware stores in heaven. Why wouldn’t there be? Building things and having things wear out over the endless years of eternity has nothing to do with sin. So, the absence of sin in heaven does not mean the absence of problems not coming from sin.
Someone will have to run the hardware store with God’s loving concern for customers. Also, someone will have to sweep the floors and keep the store looking like it belongs in heaven. The position of store manager will require someone with a spirit that automatically puts people’s needs above her or his own, developed by obedience to various Togethers before she or he died, facing and enduring hardship being one of them. But, the store custodian will not need such a strong spirit and will likely be someone who barely faced and endured hardship with others.
Hopefully, you would prefer to spend eternity as the store manager. The store custodian will be just as content in that job as you would be as manager. The question is, in what position would you like to serve God?
Most likely, if those two choices were yours, the Holy Spirit would want you to develop your spirit to care more about people than floors because God cares more about people than floors. Don’t be worried that there will not be anyone to sweep floors. There will be plenty of Christians who did not care that much about others with spirits only qualified to sweep floors. Hopefully, you would like to manage the hardware store and see that people, not floors, are helped with do-it-yourself projects.
Regarding facing troubles and hardships together to advance our spirits more into the kingdom of heaven, there seem to be three categories. First, there are hard things we must do just to live, not easy like cooking, but difficult like cooking a big holiday meal; not easy like putting gas in the car, but troublesome like taking care of a flat tire. Second, there is the difficulty of challenges we take on, like exercising to lose weight or taking up a new sport. And, third, there are troubles and problems when we help others, like disciplining children, teaching an immigrant English, and leading a Bible study.
With such troubles and hardships of daily life, we need one another’s help. We need to face and endure together. This is especially true when the hardship is long-term, like an illness, mourning a death, education, and dealing with unemployment and unexpected debt.
We help each other deal with hardship through shared faith, hope, love, and other spiritual powers. We do not deal with hardship as the world does. We pray to a God we know personally and ask for guidance about what to do, whether that be praying that God supply something or Jesus telling us to do something. We allow God’s power into the situation, trusting Him, and not just superstitiously going through some ritual to gain His blessing. We wait upon God, never giving up hope or washing our hands of the situation in hopelessness.
All of these things we must do together to please God who told us to face and endure hardship together. But, in doing so, we are preparing ourselves for higher places of service in heaven, for greater ability to hear God in heaven, and for God’s appreciation in heaven.
In heaven, all of us will need help with things that are hard for us. No problem there, because many will want to help us. But, those most able to help others in heaven will be those who helped others regularly before death face and endure hardship. In assigning to each of us our reward as a place of service for God in heaven, the King will look at our resumes. The better jobs of dealing with people will go to those who stepped up to help others when life got difficult.
To prepare yourself in this way for heaven, analyze what hardships others are going through. Start with those in your family and then proceed to those in your Christian Inner Circle. Make a list of their struggles and sufferings related to regular life.
It can be difficult to stay focused on just the difficulties of living. Ignore for now troubles your Christians friends and relatives are facing because they acted contrary to God or troubles brought into their lives by God to disciple them to greater faith. Just list hardships related to the normal problems of life.
Use this list first in praying for them over time. If there is any way that you can walk alongside them as they deal with a hardship, be with them physically or show your support on the phone, in texts, or by email. If there is anything you can do to provide something needed, either your effort or your resources, ask God if He wants you to do so. And always continue praying, bringing their need before the Lord.
Often people will not let you know what hardships they are facing. Because of individualistic culture, people don’t think of asking others for help, sometimes even in the most dire situations. So, ask those in your Christian Inner Circle what they are going through. Sometimes if you ask what you can pray for, they will tell you about hardships. But, you can just plain ask what things are troublesome for them, mentioning the biblical importance of facing and enduring hardship together.
Another way that you can get people to tell you the hardships they are facing is to tell them yours and ask for their prayers and support. It is important for us to ask other Christians to help us with the difficulties of life and service. Get over thinking that you need to stand on your own two feet all of the time. God will get much joy when we show one another love through facing hardship and trouble together.
We must not forget that preparing for heaven is also to seek out other Christians to go through our hardships with us. Doing this helps destroy pride. Pride cuts off so many benefits of living with God and His people that they are too numerous to list. Letting others face and endure our hardships paves the way for asking other citizens in heaven for help with hard things there. We should want to go to heaven with excited anticipation of its vast opportunities, adventures that will cause us to need others facing and enduring whatever hardships present themselves along the journey.
For example, imagine in heaven wanting to finally be able to read music and play a musical instrument. This will be easy for some, but very difficult for many others. Those who will have a difficult time of it will greatly appreciate that they possess spirits not too proud to ask for help.
Let’s get ready for heaven. Look for someone facing difficulty serving God and face the hard things with her or him. And invite those in your Christians Inner Circle to help you with the tough things you face.
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
Erlene is learning things about God not revealed to citizens of heaven until they actually get there. God is so magnificent that some aspects of who He is are hard to understand without help. Before dying, Erlene mistakenly thought that when she got to heaven she would know all things immediately. What she found out is that humans were made to learn, not to be like computers with information dumped into them.
Fortunately, a person who practiced facing hardship with others before she met death and entered paradise came along to help. This new friend has the tenacity to keep on helping during Erlene’s most confusing moments – because that person kept on standing by another’s side earlier when it was far more difficult with sin getting in the way. |
All of us in heaven will be completely satisfied in whatever capacity we serve God. However, we might want to be happy in a job with more responsibility than happy in one with less. Places of service will match the nature of our spirits. Before we go to heaven we are showing God who we really are deep inside in our spirits. And, He will match our spirits to places of service to do His will in heaven.
Facing and enduring hardship with others shows God that we care about His people. In heaven there will be many careers serving others because God really cares about His people. Now is the time to try to qualify for a more responsible position of service in heaven, primarily because it will glorify God to a greater degree. But, it will also provide a greater level of complete happiness than a lesser degree of complete happiness.
Someone who this side of death did not care much about helping other Christians with the difficult aspects of life will need to be assigned a job not dealing so directly with people. Let’s just imagine a cooking school in heaven for example. This person might glorify God by washing the pots and pans. She will be completely happy to do this job because her spirit is not so good at watching out for people. She will also be glorifying God by doing a good job of washing pots and pans. Speculatively speaking, she will be glorifying God ten units a day.
However, a person who proved to be so concerned for others as to face and endure hardship with other Christians wholeheartedly before dying will be an instructor in that same cooking school. She will be there because she has a spirit strong in making sure that cooking students are taught well and successful. In addition to being completely happy doing what she does, this woman will be glorifying God 30 units a day.
Now is the time for each of us to decide how much we want to glorify God now and in heaven. We glorify Him now by facing and enduring the hardships of others. We glorify Him in heaven by serving God in a position that requires dedication to the success of others.
And then there is the joy of helping others. Most of us know the joy that is ours when we have faced and endured a baby learning to walk. If we enter heaven with vast experience in helping others do difficult things, there will be similar joys. Those who did not help others endure will not miss what they never had, just as we do not miss culinary delicacies of other cultures that are unattractive to us. You can’t miss what you don’t know. But, let’s not accept that for ourselves. Let’s develop our spirits for joy in helping others now when things are hard as well as for great joy in heaven when we help others with things that are difficult for them.
Heaven will be wonderful for those of us who also allowed other Christians to face and endure our own hardships with us. Then, in heaven we will have spirits more open to help from others to face the wonderful, difficult challenges and opportunities there.
Heaven will be far more wonderful than we can ever imagine. Do you like to ski? Well, in heaven there will be some sport more enjoyable and challenging than skiing. It probably won’t be easy to learn. You will need people there to urge you on at times. If, during the time before death we grew in our ability to ask others to help us in our hardships, we will be more open to doing so in heaven. This will expand what we can enjoy of heaven’s opportunities.
Why would we think that we will not have to push ourselves beyond our natural ability in heaven? When Adam and Eve were without sin, do you think that they lived a boring life of ease? Even though the earth was not yet cursed, why would they have muscles in their bodies? So, it is not at all unreasonable to think that there will be hard challenges in heaven that we will still need to face together. The absence of sin does not mean the absence of difficulty.
Let’s think of being “can do” people in heaven. This will come from doing hard things before death that are more difficult than we can face and endure alone. Others will face those hardships with us, allowing us to overcome whatever would stop us from reaching our difficult objectives.
Heaven’s opportunities will be endless. There will be things to learn, things to do, and relationships to be developed, all without the opposition of sin. Some of these opportunities will not be easy just because sin will be absent. Why would God give us brains if not to use them? Learning will still be challenging, just not distracted by unholy desires or laziness. If you love acting, what fun would it be if you did not have to work to learn your lines? And what if there are sports to be learned and mastered on distant planets? Would they be fun if improvement was not possible through hard work? Otherwise, everyone would have the same skill level and there could be no contest.
Let’s face and endure hardship together and gain the many benefits this will bring to us in heaven.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
Facing and enduring hardship with others shows God that we care about His people. In heaven there will be many careers serving others because God really cares about His people. Now is the time to try to qualify for a more responsible position of service in heaven, primarily because it will glorify God to a greater degree. But, it will also provide a greater level of complete happiness than a lesser degree of complete happiness.
Someone who this side of death did not care much about helping other Christians with the difficult aspects of life will need to be assigned a job not dealing so directly with people. Let’s just imagine a cooking school in heaven for example. This person might glorify God by washing the pots and pans. She will be completely happy to do this job because her spirit is not so good at watching out for people. She will also be glorifying God by doing a good job of washing pots and pans. Speculatively speaking, she will be glorifying God ten units a day.
However, a person who proved to be so concerned for others as to face and endure hardship with other Christians wholeheartedly before dying will be an instructor in that same cooking school. She will be there because she has a spirit strong in making sure that cooking students are taught well and successful. In addition to being completely happy doing what she does, this woman will be glorifying God 30 units a day.
Now is the time for each of us to decide how much we want to glorify God now and in heaven. We glorify Him now by facing and enduring the hardships of others. We glorify Him in heaven by serving God in a position that requires dedication to the success of others.
And then there is the joy of helping others. Most of us know the joy that is ours when we have faced and endured a baby learning to walk. If we enter heaven with vast experience in helping others do difficult things, there will be similar joys. Those who did not help others endure will not miss what they never had, just as we do not miss culinary delicacies of other cultures that are unattractive to us. You can’t miss what you don’t know. But, let’s not accept that for ourselves. Let’s develop our spirits for joy in helping others now when things are hard as well as for great joy in heaven when we help others with things that are difficult for them.
Heaven will be wonderful for those of us who also allowed other Christians to face and endure our own hardships with us. Then, in heaven we will have spirits more open to help from others to face the wonderful, difficult challenges and opportunities there.
Heaven will be far more wonderful than we can ever imagine. Do you like to ski? Well, in heaven there will be some sport more enjoyable and challenging than skiing. It probably won’t be easy to learn. You will need people there to urge you on at times. If, during the time before death we grew in our ability to ask others to help us in our hardships, we will be more open to doing so in heaven. This will expand what we can enjoy of heaven’s opportunities.
Why would we think that we will not have to push ourselves beyond our natural ability in heaven? When Adam and Eve were without sin, do you think that they lived a boring life of ease? Even though the earth was not yet cursed, why would they have muscles in their bodies? So, it is not at all unreasonable to think that there will be hard challenges in heaven that we will still need to face together. The absence of sin does not mean the absence of difficulty.
Let’s think of being “can do” people in heaven. This will come from doing hard things before death that are more difficult than we can face and endure alone. Others will face those hardships with us, allowing us to overcome whatever would stop us from reaching our difficult objectives.
Heaven’s opportunities will be endless. There will be things to learn, things to do, and relationships to be developed, all without the opposition of sin. Some of these opportunities will not be easy just because sin will be absent. Why would God give us brains if not to use them? Learning will still be challenging, just not distracted by unholy desires or laziness. If you love acting, what fun would it be if you did not have to work to learn your lines? And what if there are sports to be learned and mastered on distant planets? Would they be fun if improvement was not possible through hard work? Otherwise, everyone would have the same skill level and there could be no contest.
Let’s face and endure hardship together and gain the many benefits this will bring to us in heaven.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
At a lavish reception in heaven in one of the art museums, Jesus passes by Patricia, and as he does so, he whispers in her ear, “Hello by dear servant with a long history of facing and enduring hardship with others just like I have done for all eternity.” The thrill of that brief, glorious, wonderful greeting lives on every day of Patricia’s everlasting life.
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To faithfully face and endure the trials of others with them, we need to consult God. In whatever way God communicates to us when we are facing and enduring someone else’s hardship, we grow in our spirit’s ability to hear His voice. We pray for God’s answer to their difficult situation. Then we listen for what God will tell us. Over time we grow in our ability to hear God’s voice deep down inside of ourselves where we hear God through scriptural guidance and the conviction of the Holy Spirit sensed down deep in our spirits. Once in a while, we might even recognize God putting His message into our thoughts.
Taking that advanced perception of God’s voice to heaven will make eternity all that much more fantastic. We will be more sensitive to God’s loving messages. We will be able to hear God tell us what will please Him most. We will be more in tune with God’s mind about things. This barely scratches the surface of all the joys that will follow from advanced perception of God’s voice in heaven.
Plus, how good it will be to hear God’s voice of appreciation for caring for His people and going through hardships with them. Let’s remember how good it has felt when someone appreciated us doing something difficult with them to make it easier. Then, imagine how wonderful it will feel when appreciation comes from God for taking care of His children.
God faces and endures with us every trouble and hardship that comes our way, whether or not we ask Him to. We are His and He watches over us. We want to share with God this generosity to stand with others through the difficulties of life as well as the challenges of ministry. We want to have that closer empathy with Him that comes from similar experiences.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Lord of All who provides for us in all our troubles, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to help one another with the hardships of life. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we face the normal difficulties of this life together.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus and find joy in going through the struggles of life together. As Jesus spent so much of His time doing this, help us to increase the time we take to walk along with others in our Christian Inner Circles as life gives them difficult things with which to deal.
May our lives worship You more because we step in and help with hardships and difficulties that others have to face. You walk with and endure with us in our hardships of life, so we want to do the same and worship You by reflecting back to You your own nature. So, help us to not surround ourselves only with Christians who have stable, uncomplicated lives.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by facing the many hardships he sends upon us to tempt us to complain that God is not protecting us. Let us, as soldiers in the army of God, to stand against Satan and his destructive acts in the lives of people. Please give us wisdom as to how to face and endure hardship together in our Christian Inner Circles.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more completely able to walk by one another’s sides and watch out for one another, helping with hardships as they constantly arise. Fortunately, in heaven such hardships will be less, but we will still face hard things, just not things coming from sin. Let our efforts to face and endure hardships together now be preparation for serving one another in heaven in similar ways, just not with such horrible hardships as we face from the hand of evil now.
Taking that advanced perception of God’s voice to heaven will make eternity all that much more fantastic. We will be more sensitive to God’s loving messages. We will be able to hear God tell us what will please Him most. We will be more in tune with God’s mind about things. This barely scratches the surface of all the joys that will follow from advanced perception of God’s voice in heaven.
Plus, how good it will be to hear God’s voice of appreciation for caring for His people and going through hardships with them. Let’s remember how good it has felt when someone appreciated us doing something difficult with them to make it easier. Then, imagine how wonderful it will feel when appreciation comes from God for taking care of His children.
God faces and endures with us every trouble and hardship that comes our way, whether or not we ask Him to. We are His and He watches over us. We want to share with God this generosity to stand with others through the difficulties of life as well as the challenges of ministry. We want to have that closer empathy with Him that comes from similar experiences.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Lord of All who provides for us in all our troubles, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to help one another with the hardships of life. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we face the normal difficulties of this life together.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus and find joy in going through the struggles of life together. As Jesus spent so much of His time doing this, help us to increase the time we take to walk along with others in our Christian Inner Circles as life gives them difficult things with which to deal.
May our lives worship You more because we step in and help with hardships and difficulties that others have to face. You walk with and endure with us in our hardships of life, so we want to do the same and worship You by reflecting back to You your own nature. So, help us to not surround ourselves only with Christians who have stable, uncomplicated lives.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by facing the many hardships he sends upon us to tempt us to complain that God is not protecting us. Let us, as soldiers in the army of God, to stand against Satan and his destructive acts in the lives of people. Please give us wisdom as to how to face and endure hardship together in our Christian Inner Circles.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more completely able to walk by one another’s sides and watch out for one another, helping with hardships as they constantly arise. Fortunately, in heaven such hardships will be less, but we will still face hard things, just not things coming from sin. Let our efforts to face and endure hardships together now be preparation for serving one another in heaven in similar ways, just not with such horrible hardships as we face from the hand of evil now.