I’m reading Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison. It is powerful reading.
In the Prologue, he says this: “It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than in the freedom of one’s own responsibility.”
Christians believe that life comes through death. They say that God suffered for us so we can live and not die. They believe that whatever suffering we have to endure, it will be nothing compared to the blessings that are to come. Therefore they know there is a spark of joy that always sits at the core of their suffering, because they do not suffer in vain when they suffer in the faith that God has already suffered for them.
Then why, I ask, will we do almost anything to avoid suffering? Why do Christians have such a difficult time embracing suffering?
Related Posts:
- Does God Fear Human Beings?
- Was It Fair for God to Punish Adam and Eve?
- How Do You Know You Love God?
Photo: AnnuskA - AnnA Theodora
