"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in." Philippians 1:29-30
"God is more concerned with your character than your comfort." -Life Above The Negativity
This week I ordered the book, Life Above The Negativity. Because lately I've been struggling with being positive.
It's easy to be positive in the summer. I love my job that time of year. It is easy to dream of all of the things I'm going to accomplish and all of the children I'm going to help in the school year.
It's easy to be a Christian in the summer.
When school starts and it's time to go back to work, reality hits. It's not as easy as it is in the summer. It's much, much harder.
I know there are Christians in my building. I know there are God fearing people that work along side me. The problem is it's not something that is talked about.
The last few years, I had a coworker whom was very strong in her faith. The two of us would eat lunch together and talk about faith. Instead of complaining about how hard it was to be a follower of Christ in our workplace, we made plans and talked about what we COULD do and then, what we DID do.
It was uplifting. It was refreshing. It kept me positive. It was easy to lean on someone else and say, "This may not be easy, but I know you understand."
This year, she took another job and is no longer in my building. While I miss having her work in my classroom, what I miss more is the Christian support I had in her.
When I hear negative talk, it's easy to succumb to it. It's easy to even join in. It's easy to start to believe it.
It is not easy being a Christian.
I feel outnumbered. I feel alone. I feel weak.
I make mistakes. I stumble. I talk negatively. I sin. I suffer.
"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in." Philippians 1:29-30
Suffer for His sake.
While it may be true that I am outnumbered and surrounded, I am not alone. I am not weak. I may stumble, but He will lift me up. I may be weak but He makes me strong.
I can lean on Him and say "This may not be easy, but I know you understand."
Because He doesn't say it will be easy.
In fact,
He promises
there
will
be
suffering.
But He also promises comfort in the suffering. He also counts it a blessing.
"For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:5
He is more concerned with my character than my comfort.
And I am building a lot of character this year.
