Worthy

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him, but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. Phil 1:29-30 ESV

When memorizing Scripture it is almost inevitable that a deeper pondering of the passage will occur. Sometimes that deeper  understanding is encouraging and strengthening. Other times it’s painfully convicting.

Phil 1:29-30 is painfully convicting.

I can handle the first part: It has been granted that I should believe in Christ…yes, I like that. But then comes the second part of the verse: I am granted that I should suffer for His sake. And, in case that phraseology isn’t clear enough, here’s what the New Living Translation says:

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. (emphasis mine)

Just for the record, I do not consider suffering a privilege. I don’t think of it as a generous grant. I think of it as a challenge to overcome. If I can just get past this tough situation, everything will look better on the other side.

But that is not what this passage says about suffering.  The immediately preceding verses point to the necessity of living a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. The suffering mentioned in these last verses of Phil 1 is the result of walking worthy. Real suffering is almost a litmus test for living a worthy lifestyle.

My challenge is to learn to think this way. To consider suffering to be an honor that reminds me that I am living a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.