Romans 8:18 For I
consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
What are your sufferings? We all have them. Even when life is
going well, we look around us and there is cancer, disintegration of morality,
addictions, false gods and other lies, hurtful words and broken relationships.
The church work family bears these burdens and suffering in a
unique way. We have our own sufferings, we bring them to Christ to help us
carry the load, and we wonder why life just seems so heavy so much of the time.
We forget that often we are bearing the sufferings of those in our care. There are
burdens on our heart for someone’s marriage that needs healing, or the member
going through treatment; the suffering of the family who has had a miscarriage
or the widow living alone. They are wide and varied in our work and in our
congregations. And then there is the big one- there is people who do not know
Jesus and so little time, who will tell them, how will we tell them? We suffer
with the weight of the world on human shoulders frail and weak.
Paul gives us words of encouragement here, as if to say,
“Imagine what Christ has in store!” God has a place prepared for us with no
more tears, no more sorrow. There is singing and praising all the day around a
throne and King worthy of every praise. His glory is so bright and magnificent
that the sun is not necessary for light.
God also offers us glimpses of this glory revealed in His
Kingdom work here on Earth. We see healing in sickness and hope in sorrow. We
get to be messengers of His peace and joy and all the bounty that He offers us
in Christ Jesus. We see children grow and faith blossom. We share Jesus over
coffee and pray with people as good as strangers, who suddenly become family.
His work is hard and a struggle, a wrestling match between
God and world, but His glory- Wow. His glory being revealed and to be revealed-
oh, how worth it.
