31 - Robyn – “Do All Christians really have to suffer to follow Jesus? (07-28-2017)
“Michael,
I am struggling a bit with something and even when I pray and seek the Lord, I do get this over whelming feeling of — trust me. You’re grafted into the vine however, I am so clearly intentional about discerning everything because the ‘old’ me sometimes trips me up. While we are learning how to ‘walk in the new’ day by day, moment by moment, I do not want to be in a counterfeit which can feel like justification of the old.
I have not gone through the entirety of suffering like you have; yet. Do you believe that Christians (in the definition that you are calling most to) will eventually be required to go through that much suffering, in order to fully understand that the way that is so narrow? As in, there’s no if’s and or buts / exceptions even though I know that God used different people in the OT and NT who carried very diff. paths to knowing Him? Does this question make sense? And for each ‘spiritual gift’ that is mentioned in the NT — some are called to teaching, preaching, exhorting, etc. Do they all require this same level of sacrifice and suffering, though you have said he gives to each by design and faith?
I ask because when I am presented with things in life —- opportunities that I now pause to consider. Does it bring me further into the Kingdom, or does it distract and pull away? Which spirit does it give life to? Does this put me or God in this space and quite honestly, unless you are at the weakest of spaces, (or so it seems from your videos) where no ‘human’ can fathom, rationalize, materialize or consider —- there is no choice but that it is God. Yikes. I admit I am NOT there yet!!!
Four years ago, I pushed so hard and worked so hard and tried so hard for something very specific. It didn’t happen. I let it all go. Now, there’s remnants of it coming back into my life AFTER I have seen your testimony and am trying to walk in this way. These remnants -I threw away all my social media, I stopped socializing as I used to, I also am being persecuted by family for being ‘not a loving person’ because I do not encourage the social life that I once held — these are to make the ego and the ‘conscious’ feel good not God. There’s such a ‘slight’ nasty layer that we’ve redefined — its’ cunning and it’s so sugary even I am still trying to get that lie out of my system. But I hear it takes time. It takes process. I am so concerned about doing it right and making sure I am not out of line with the Lord. It’s mentally exhausting on some days because I have not yet had the ‘fullness’ but I crave that. Yet I do not want to ‘forget’ the goodness when things get ‘good ‘so I must discipline myself now.
Michael, thank you for listening once again to this rambling. I have NO idea if this makes sense. I continue to ask God to cleanse my heart, to show me of things where I am lacking, where I am still holding onto sin or other areas that need reconciling. That gate is SO narrow.... oh, my goodness... it is so narrow and Satan knows exactly how to make it so difficult to go through. Submitting and obeying and forgiving and living on the word alone. The mind must be consistently transformed by this in order to sustain it.
Michael, you are, and continue to go through that narrow gate. And as you make yourself smaller, the other opens up so big you don’t even notice that it’s small anymore.
I pray God doesn’t let me get stuck in this space —- Don’t let me miscarriage in this womb —-”
Suffering for Christ: The Pathway to True Christianity
Are you wrestling with the question of suffering? Do you wonder, with Robyn in today’s recording, if it's truly necessary for a Christian to endure hardship and loss? The answer, according to so much scripture and the testimonies of countless saints throughout history, is a resounding yes. Suffering is not an anomaly, not a sign of God’s disfavor, but an integral part of the normal Christian experience.
Philippians 1:29 tells us, "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” Romans 8:17-18 reminds us that we will only be “co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings” and that our “present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 5:3-4 adds, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
These verses, and countless others, reveal a fundamental truth: True Christianity involves suffering. It's a price we pay to demonstrate our faith, to validate its authenticity, and to please God. To claim the name of Christ, to desire His blessings, yet reject His sufferings is to misunderstand the very essence of discipleship. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble? (Job 2:10). Shall we claim to be above our Master, saying it was good for Jesus to suffer, but not for us?
Suffering has a purpose. It refines us like silver, purifying our hearts and strengthening our faith. It breaks us free from our lusts, delusions, worldly desires, and false beliefs. It humbles us, stripping away our pride and self-reliance, and drawing us into deeper dependence on God.
I understand the pain of suffering. I have endured immense loss in my own life. I am able to relate to Jeremiah saying, “Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?” I feel a connection to Paul’s words in 2 Cor 11 when he writes, “Are they servants of Christ?...I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.”
Nevertheless, I have seen God use those trials for my good, turning them into opportunities for growth and deeper intimacy with Him. I have lost two spouses, children, parents, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, career, finances, homes, and dignity. I’ve been slandered and persecuted, falsely accused, and publicly shamed relentlessly. Yet, through it all, God has sustained me, filling my heart with a joy and peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Don't be afraid to suffer, my brother or sister. Don't fixate on the pain, for God will provide His grace as your anesthetic. He will strengthen you to endure. He will use this season of hardship to draw you closer to Himself, to reveal His love and faithfulness in ways you cannot yet imagine.
The world tells us to avoid pain, to seek comfort and happiness at all costs. But Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). He calls us to lose our lives to find them (Matthew 10:39). This is the narrow road, the costly path that leads to life. It’s a path of surrender, of sacrifice, of embracing the very sufferings that refine us and make us more like Christ. Don’t be afraid to walk this path. It is the path to true life, to eternal glory, and to the fullness of joy in Christ.
