Sharing the Suffering

When we think of "suffering" for Christ these days, often the idea of "getting laughed at" at work is the first and is often the only thing that comes to mind. In extreme cases, we think of the boss that doesn't like us because we won't participate in illegal or unethical behavior at work. Around the world, there are countless countries and territories where being a Christian isn't just "rough", but is also illegal, and in some cases punishable by death.

As we occasionally hear the stories of missionaries imprisoned and tortured, our reaction is that of relief that "we don't have it that bad." The Bible says in Hebrews 13:3 we are to share in the suffering of fellow believers, and we are to remember those who are in bondage just like we were bound with them. We're part of the same body of Christ. How do we so easily forget that one of our arms is tied behind our back?

If you were bound, you wouldn't forget it every day other than when a missionary visits your church. If you were truly suffering adversity, you wouldn't forget to pray continually for relief. When a part of the body of Christ is bound or faces hardship, the entire body suffers. We should be praying continually each day for the deliverance of those in conditions worse than our own. We should literally remember them like we were right there with them.

In Philippians 1:7, Paul writes that every Christian shares God's grace with him, whether he was in chains or free. We're all part of the same body; we're all partakers of everything that happens to each member of the body, even when we don't recognize it. As we live our comfortable lives this year, let's remember those less fortunate. Let's pray for them each day.