A couple weeks ago at church a story was shared about the persecution of various pastors in Uganda. These pastors were blindfolded and lined in front of a firing squad. The particular pastor this story is about heard the gun fire but was miraculously not shot.

I in no way want to over simplify this story but for the sake of brevity, this pastor was the only survivor. As the awesomeness of God’s protection and this man’s dedication to Christ washed over all of us listening, I couldn’t shake the images of all the other pastors who had not survived. Why had God not saved them?

As a pastor I have lots of conversations with people who struggle with their faith. Some of these struggles are mental, some are emotional, and some are even physical. There is no easy way to explain to someone hurting why God seemingly lifts these burdens off of some people while other are forced to suffer. For most people, the reason to come to God is to suffer no more.

Paul seemed to struggle with this very thing as well. Paul claimed, “a thorn was given me in the flesh”. There is no way to really know what “thorn” Paul suffered with but his desperation in the verses that follow is very clear.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 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.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Think about this for a second. The early church is seeing the power of God displayed in tremendous ways. Even through Paul’s own ministry many are being miraculously healed and delivered. And yet Paul himself is not delivered from something he calls “a messenger of Satan” in verse 7. He pleaded with God for freedom. Paul was struggling, why wasn’t God doing something?

But you’re not the Apostle Paul and most likely you’re not an African pastor facing a firing line. You’re not struggling with an unknown “thorn in the flesh” or death because of your faith. You’re an alcoholic, addicted to drugs or pornography. You were abused. You are fighting thoughts that fill you with increasingly deep shame.  You are finding it difficult to resolve your faith with your sexuality. You feel isolated and alone. Sometimes… you just want to give up.

You, like Paul, cry out to be released from these daily battles while it seem all around you people are finding peace and strength. But what if I told you that everyday you and everyone around you are being freed from some struggles while others remain? I wonder if we don’t all have a “thorn in the flesh” that remains with us throughout this life. If there were no struggles, no suffering, no weakness there would be no need for grace. Where these things abound grace abounds all the more. Grace is revealed in suffering.

Our world has been shattered by disobedience and pride. This devastation has impacted everyone who has ever lived. We suffer, this is a fact. But God did not merely watch from afar removed from our suffering. No, He came to us in our own tortured lives and suffered with us. He felt the pain, torment, and desperation that we feel now. He faced rejection and hatred. He experienced temptation and the sting of betrayal. He saw first hand a world that was broken and gave His own life so that grace could comfort and sustain us.

We ask, “God, why don’t you do something while I’m suffering?” He responds, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

In suffering our weakness is revealed. Our need is made more evident in our struggles. Christ, having experienced it all, is never closer than in our suffering.

When we are weak, then we are strong.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1

Romans 12 has commonly been considered to be speaking about the spiritual gifts of believers. While I can see why some may think that I think it’s an incomplete view considering the context of the chapter. What Romans 12 actually gives is great insight into spiritual worship and our role in it. Interestingly it says nothing about songs, posture, or protocol.

As we read above, Paul encourages us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God”. This, he refers to as our spiritual worship. The question is, how do we do that? How do we truly worship God in that way?

Paul gives us a list (non exhaustive) in this chapter that we can use to understand what this worship looks like. Here a few he mentions.

• serving
• teaching
• exhorting
• giving
• leading
• showing mercy
• showing honor

These are only a few of the ways Paul reveals as worship towards God. Notice anything strange about Paul’s list? Almost all of the things he mentions are directed towards other people and not towards God directly.

You cannot truly worship God without others.

Our spiritual worship is shown in our relationships, our willingness to engage others in love, and out ability to put others first. It doesn’t matter how many songs you sing, prayers you lift up, verses you memorize, or sermons you listen to. If you isolate yourself from others, you hinder your ability to worship God. And ultimately to even know Him.

What other ways might we participate in true worship?

I talk to people all the time who struggle with their relationship with God. It’s not that they don’t want to have a better relationship with Him, it’s that they simply don’t see Him.

It’s not only that they don’t see Him but they don’t hear His voice or feel His presence either. As far as they are concerned God exists but He definitely doesn’t know how to show it. This can be a discouraging thing as I’m sure you can imagine. You feel alone and isolated from people who seem to have no problem feeling the presence of God. You put on a good front but inside your heart is breaking with every worship song, sermon, and prayer.

1 John 4:12 says.

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

This is very encouraging. Here the author says “no one has ever seen God”. You’re not alone, we all struggle with the feeling of His absence at one point or another. Some of us for very, very long periods of time.  The point is, most of us will never see Jesus in a vision or any other way while in mortal flesh. We may never hear the very voice of God audibly whisper His desires in our ears. But we do have a promise.

Sure, none of us have ever seen God, BUT if we make love a priority, we just may.

Most of us are familiar with the old saying, “Garbage in, garbage out”. But what if I told you the reverse is equally as true? What if I told you that whatever you put out into the world and to whatever degree you put it out, will become the contents of your soul?

The bible says in Luke 6:45…

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

I sometimes wonder how ones heart got so abundant with certain things. Over the years I’ve come to a simple conclusion; the things we speak reinforce those positions inside of us.

Project fear, anger, and resentment onto others and you become a more fearful, angry, and resentful person. On the other hand, Proclaim love, joy, and forgiveness and watch the abundance of these qualities continue to saturate your soul.

Every day with every breath we are making decisions that are shaping the type of person we are becoming, whether we realize it or not.