Suffering

Throughout my life, I have grown up in the holiness/Pentecostal tradition. It is a godly group of people that love the Lord and believe the word of God in 1 Peter when he calls us to "be holy as I am holy." I have found that one of the mistakes that we in traditional Pentecostal circles make is to get focused on our own actions dictating God's next move. In other words, we sometimes forget about the sovereignty and providence of God. We think that God moves AFTER we move. We think that salvation and success is dependent upon us and forget the power and providence of God. I believe that the Scriptures are pretty clear that God has a plan and purpose. It is by His will and His alone that the church grows or dies (John 15). We are mere servants that should be completely submitted to His will and plan. Unfortunately, we think that periods of trials and testing in our lives is because of a mistake that we have made or the mistake that someone else has made. Sometimes, we think that if one of our brothers or sisters in Christ is going through a crisis, it must be because they have shortcomings that have brought this on. This is the point I want to make: God controls the destiny of the church - not people and certainly not the devil. It is more biblical to say that God often orchestrates trials and testing in the lives of his people to bring glory to Himself, to make his children into who He wants them to be, and to bring judgment on His enemies - those that are opposed to His plans. It is not unlike God to put his children through difficult seasons to break them down and remold them into a useful instrument in God's kingdom. Also, it is important to remember that in 1 Peter it is taught that judgment begins with the house of God. "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 'If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?' Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:17-19). "According to" means that we suffer because it is God's will that we suffer. We should not be surprised at events that occur in our lives and in the life of our church. It his God's hand at work IN EVERYTHING. God is not nervously biting his fingernails wondering if it will all work out alright - hoping that we make the right moves or decisions. HE IS IN TOTAL CONTROL!!!!! And because he is in total control we who obey the gospel of God don't have to be anxious about anything. Stand firm in the faith that you have received!