For the Sake of Christ
Good morning Immanuel. The Father didn’t waste his Son’s suffering, nor will he waste ours.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (1 Corinthians 12:10).
The mindset behind Paul’s life and ministry could be encapsulated in these words: “For the sake of Christ.” The driving force behind Paul’s missionary work, his endurance, and his willingness to suffer grew out of the realization that, for his sake (and ours), Christ died and was raised (2 Corinthians 5:15).
For our sake, Jesus took the kind of loss that led to our gain. For our sake, he took the death that brought us life. For our sake, Jesus tasted the bitter cup of judgment so that we might drink the sweetness of pardon and peace. And none of his pain for our sake went to waste. No loss for our sake ever resulted in a net negative. Indeed, His greatest earthly loss at the cross is where the power of God’s saving grace shines brightest for us! The Father didn’t waste his Son’s suffering, nor will he waste ours. So, for the sake of Christ, we can humbly accept the troubles, disappointments, and insults that come our way. They are God’s wise way of making His power rest on us!
Amen!