Prize

 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:7-13) 

            Saul became Paul by God’s grace and the working of God’s power. The night before last, I finished reading Hinds’ Feet In High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. It’s an old story, and a blatant allegory about a poor young woman named Much-Afraid, who becomes Grace and Glory by God’s grace and the working of God’s power. These two examples remind me of the nonsense of the meme that says, “God won’t give you anything you can’t handle.” Paul would clearly say, “That’s rubbish!” What God won’t do is give you anything He cannot handle.

          Paul got this. He tells the Ephesians not to be discouraged because of his sufferings for them. Now, I’m a complete wimp when it comes to suffering, so I’m not going to snap my fingers and say, “Piece of cake!” I doubt Paul liked suffering but he understood something about it that I think we forget. In all those stories we love so well, the hero suffers. If the hero didn’t suffer, we’d be bored with the story. And we expect that the suffering involved somehow shows the value of the prize. 

        If God is your prize, He's worth any suffering. If those you love are your prize, so are they. And keep in mind, you were worth His suffering.