When Others Suffer ~ Steve Hill Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ~ Philippians 2:4, NASB I will never forget the time I fell three stories from a construction site, severely breaking my right arm. The bone shattered in half and the ragged ends scraped back and forth on each other, causing horrible pain. In retrospect, at that moment I don’t remember being hungry, thirsty or sleepy. No, every nerve in my body was swiftly responding to the area that was injured. That, after all, is how God created our bodies to function. As Thomas Watson describes, God intended the Body of Christ to function in a very similar manner. A godly man takes it to heart when he sees others suffering. There are certain trees whose leaves contract, shrink up and seemingly hang their heads whenever another leaf is cut or touched. There should be a similar spiritual sympathy among Christians. When other parts of God’s church suffer, others feel it also, as though they themselves were suffering. Queen Esther enjoyed the king’s favor, and all the delights of the court, yet when a bloody warrant was signed for the death of the Jews, she mourned and fasted, and risked her own life to save theirs. Just as our physical bodies let us know when they need attention, the Spirit of God touches our hearts with the needs of others in the Body of Christ. May we always endeavor to function as we should, being swift to respond through prayer, fasting, blessing—or whatever manner the Holy Spirit directs. Exodus 21; Luke 24;Job 39; 2 Corinthians 9
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:14:56 +0000
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