Get Tarheel Ramblings Delivered

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner



Subscribe in a Reader

Tarheel Archives

Categories

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

.
«  
  »

Strength to Endure - Zondervan Daily Meditation

Strength to Endure

-Philip Yancey, Grace Notes

A friend of mine recently returned from a visit to Asian countries where Christians are experiencing persecution. Christians in Malaysia told him, “We’re so blessed, because in Indonesia they’re killing Christians, but here we just have to put up with discrimination and restrictions on our activities.” In Indonesia, where Christians are indeed dying for their faith, they told him, “We’re very blessed, because in Malaysia they can’t freely publish the gospel. Here, we still can.” The church in Indonesia values the power of words.

My job as a writer affords me the opportunity to visit a variety of countries, including some that oppress Christians. I have noticed a striking difference in the wording of prayers. When difficulties come, Christians in affluent countries tend to pray, “Lord, take this trial away from us!” I have heard persecuted Christians and some who live in very poor countries pray instead, “Lord, give us the strength to bear this trial.”

Allen Yuan had served a term of twenty-two years at hard labor for holding unauthorized church meetings in China. When he emerged from prison and returned to church, he announced that he had kept a daily count on his dangerous job, and had coupled together one million railroad cars without an injury. “God answered your prayers for my safety!” he rejoiced. Working near the Russian border without warm clothing, he had also avoided serious illness all that time.
no original description

Image via Wikipedia

Whenever I hear the statement, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” I cringe just a little bit. I’m not sure why that phrase bothers me so much, but I think it’s related to the idea communicated in the excerpt from Philip Yancey‘s book quoted above. By and large people like me in the United States and other affluent communities just don’t like the idea of suffering, or being uncomfortable. Thus our normal prayer is for God to remove whatever trial we are facing.

If I’m honest, wouldn’t it be better to pray for strength to face the trials of life with courage? And maybe pray for wisdom to know best how to respond to the challenges. I think once I begin to do that, I will find that those things that seemed so insurmountable will lose their threatening tone and power over me.

Christmas is traditionally celebrated in the Christian tradition as a season of hope and anticipation. Hope that the idea of “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” will become a reality. Until that time, may we all grow from the struggles we face, and learn the skills to reach out to each other in love and support.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
December 15th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Life in General | View Comments - (Comments are closed)
  • http://maniaravings.com Jaffer

    It is appalling to see what kind of 'excuses' the perpetrators come up with when attacking minorities. Infact they are only murdering in cold blood.

    How will peace come when the governments are themselves involved in these atrocities – whether it be india, china, malaysia or indonesea ?

    Only recently, the Indian government bulldozed people's farms … to build an airport near bangalore.
    You run bulldozers on people's food … and you expect peace ?

  • http://mouseski.blogspot.com/ Lnda

    I just have never been able to comprehend the atrocities that men commit against their fellow men. It seems like we're never going to learn to “just get along” and until we do, there's a snowball's chance in Miami of there ever being Peace on Earth. It's nice to hope for though, isn't it?

  • http://www.tarheelramblings.com Tarheel Rambler

    So much pain has been inflicted in the name of religion, or race, or whatever the basis for the hate of the day happens to be. It is impossible to fully understand the motivation behind those actions. My only option is HOPE…that something or someone is able to turn aside such wrong thinking.

  • http://www.tarheelramblings.com Tarheel Rambler

    You know, Linda, hope tends to be contagious. If there are enough of us will to hold out hope, eventually real change must be the result.

  • http://mommamiameaculpa.com meleahrebeccah

    Ive been hearing “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” all damn week and I just want to SCREAM already!

  • http://www.tarheelramblings.com Tarheel Rambler

    When you're up to your butt in alligators, it's hard to appreciate the natural beauty of the swamp. I know the last thing you need to hear right now is platitudes. Just know that I won't be sending any your way. Just good thoughts and a lot of love.

  • http://mommamiameaculpa.com meleahrebeccah

    Thank you.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/MEGVSICMIF464MP3YHGIB655CY FerdC

    Lee, as usual, I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you for taking the time to put them down in writing.
    You preach the serenity prayer! Courage and wisdom in our actions! I'm trying, man, I'm trying!

  • http://www.tarheelramblings.com Tarheel Rambler

    The only credit I can take for these words, Ferd, is for sharing them here. The cited author gets the rest of the credit. But I do concur with the sentiments expressed. The serenity prayer is a major part of my daily meditations, so I guess I do “preach” those words. Some days, I'm just better at the wisdom part than others.

  • http://www.tarheelramblings.com Tarheel Rambler

    The only credit I can take for these words, Ferd, is for sharing them here. The cited author gets the rest of the credit. But I do concur with the sentiments expressed. The serenity prayer is a major part of my daily meditations, so I guess I do “preach” those words. Some days, I'm just better at the wisdom part than others.

blog comments powered by Disqus