I see your trials and experience as a nearly exact fulfillment of Jesus’ own “life story.” He got attacked for doing good, he got crowned with thorns in mockery for “speaking of the kingdom,” he got abandoned by his own closest friends when there was danger, and he got betrayed by one of his *most intimate *“friends” TO THE POINT OF A DEATH SENTENCE. (AND on the cross, his own Father “abandoned” him- as that was so that THE FATHER AND SON COULD BOTH SHOW HOW MUCH LOVE THEY HAVE FOR US.)
I say these things because human nature does not change: the conditions of life are now “exactly the same” as they were 2000 years ago, and people will continue to mock, to opt for “the mentality of the crowd” rather than speak up for truth and principle, and so on. The scribes and pharisees were his enemies, the enthusiastic masses on Palm Sunday became the mob on Friday morning. IT IS A SPECIAL GRACE TO ENDURE EMBARRASSMENT AND RIDICULE WHEN YOU ARE BEHAVING AS ONE OF GOD’S CHILDREN. GO FOR IT.
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT SUFFERING YOUR ALONE-NESS AND ORDEALS ARE IMMENSELY PLEASING TO GOD, TO OUR LORD; AND I WOULD SAY TO YOU THAT SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE AN EXTRAORDINARY INTIMACY WITH HIM BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS KIND OF LOVE. "Rejoice when men abuse you, slander you, …*…because your reward is very great in heaven [the rest of his words were of the highest possible praise and recognition!] “People who put you to death will think they are performing a service to God!”
So FAR from being shy about your “uniqueness,” WEAR IT LIKE A BADGE OF HONOR. SHAME ON THOSE WHO ‘MAL Y PENSE!’ GO GET 'EM, D 43!*
i have had a lot of these kinds of thoughts/feelings… and that feeling of being like Christ in how he suffered for no good reason… i can really relate to that in particular… because i just don’t feel i am doing anything “wrong” and yet…
It’s just downright weird… and spooky, it is so unfathomable… I mean, i could see if i was judging people and criticizing them and all that kind of thing… but i keep to myself and try to just do waht i am supposed to do… but then… so did Jesus… (well, he didn’t stay to himself… and neither do i… ) Actually, i would love nothing better than to stay by myself… It is only when i am around people that i have these problems… crosses…
anyway, it was beautiful reading your post… You put into words exactly what i am going through…
And you know… something beautiful has alreayd come from my sufferings… kinda hard to put into words but basically… i just love God more…
and plus i began to see ceertain things i needed to see…
i sometimes think this is why Jesus had to not only die on a cross but suffer so much before he died… so that he could understand exactly wht we go through when others hate us… OK, maybe that’s a simplification. i don’t know… But i always wondered why Jesus had to die such a horrible, horrible death… I mean, technically God could have just … done someting else to save us… I sometimes wonder why he allowed his own precious son to go through all that… unfathomable…
God bless…
