I’ve been reading the book”Let the Nations Be Glad” by John Piper. I read this today and it was the perfect challenge and encouragement.
Pages 100-101: “It is true that we should bear testimony to the supremacy of God’s goodness by receiving his good gifts with thanksgiving(1 Tim. 4:3). But for many Christians this has become the only way they see their lifestyles glorifying God. God has been good to them to give them so much. Therefore, the way to witness to the reality of God is to take and be thankful.
But even though it is true that we should thankfully enjoy what we have, there is a relentless call in the Bible not to accumulate more and more things but to give more and more and to be deprived of things if love demands it. There are no easy rules to tell us whether the call on our lives is the call of the rich young ruler to give away all that we have or the call of Zacchaeus to give away half of what we have. What is clear from the New Testament is that suffering with joy, not gratitude in wealth, is the way the worth of Jesus shines most brightly.
Who can doubt that the supremacy of Christ’s worth shines brightest in a life such as this: ‘But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as 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 3:7-8
You cannot show the preciousness of a person by being happy with his gifts. Ingratitude will certainly prove that the giver is not loved, but gratitude for gifts does not prove that the giver is precious. What proves that the giver is precious is the glad-hearted readiness to leave all his gifts to be with him. This is why suffering is so central in the mission of the church. The goal of our mission is that people from all the nations worship the true God. But worship means cherishing the preciousness of God above all else, including life itself. It will be difficult to bring the nations to love God from a lifestyle that communicates a love of things. Therefore, God ordains in the lives of his messengers that suffering severs our bondage to the world. When joy and love survive this severing, we are fit to say to the nations with authenticity and power: Hope in God.”
Thanks, Tara! Those thoughts encourage me, too. God, grant us grace to lay hold of this truth, when we’re wired (in the flesh) to reject it. It may have been Piper who, in responding to a question about “the prosperity gospel” said that we all love it and “believe” it, even those who know it’s a lie and contrary to Scripture. To think biblically about suffering is a work of the Holy Spirit. Thanks for reminding us. We’ll need to focus often on this truth. Abrazos…….