The pathway of pain that produces greatness in us and through us

The Pathway Of Pain That Produces Greatness In Us and Through Us
 
© 2022 Dr. Samaria M Colbert
 
The reality of life is that we will experience joy, but we will also experience pain. However, for those who are in Christ pain the pain we experience produces a much greater joy in us. There are those who God wants to reveal his glory to, then there are those who he wants to use to for the glory to be revealed through. The process of being a glory producer is painful.
 
When God reveals his glory to you, he is simply showing you something to cause you to believe. However, when God uses you, for his glory his glory flows through you. Intimacy is what is needed to be a carrier of the glory and spiritual death to the flesh. Real relationship is needed when God is revealing his glory to you.
 
Psalm 103:7 New King James Version
 
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
 
God wants His glory to flow through you. The process of dyeing is painful, but one day you will say it was worth it. Ultimately our desire should be that God’s glory be revealed through us. You want to be a person where the glory of God dwells, not just someone dependent on sins and wonders that cause you to believe.
 
John 12:24 New King James Version
 
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much [a]grain.
 
Something has to die in us, in order for glory to be raised. Glory brings honor to God. The flesh only breeds selfish ambition. Let’s look at the process of pain from a Biblical perspective.
 
John 11:1-43 New Living Translation
 
The Raising of Lazarus
 
11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 
 
2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.[a] Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 
 
3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
 
4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 
 
Look at Jesus narrative. He knows that Lazarus is dead, and he is saying that his death is for the glory of God.
 
John 11:5-7 New Living Translation
 
5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 
 
6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 
 
7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
 
Look how it appears at the onset that Jesus was unconcerned and uncaring. His friend is dying and he refuses to leave as if it wasn’t an urgent matter.
 
Have you ever felt like that? You are dyeing on the inside and it feels as though the presence of God is intentionally staying far away.
 
 
8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people[b] in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
 
9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 
 
10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 
 
11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
 
12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 
 
13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.
 
14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 
 
15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
 
16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin,[c] said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”
 
17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 
 
18 Bethany was only a few miles[d] down the road from Jerusalem, 
 
19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss.
 
 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 
 
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 
 
22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
 
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
 
24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
 
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[e] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 
 
26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
 
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 
 
28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 
 
29 So Mary immediately went to him.
 
30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.
 
 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 
 
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
 
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,[f] and he was deeply troubled. 
 
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 
 
35 Then Jesus wept.
 
 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 
 
37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
 
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 
 
39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
 
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 
 
41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.
 
42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 
 
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
 
John 11:45 New Living Translation
 
45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.
 
Jesus stayed away initially because he knew Lazarus assignment was not to be healed from a near death sickness, rather it was for him to die. Like Lazarus had to die there are somethings that must die in us.
 
What must die: (According to Galatians 5:19-21 TLB)
 
Selfish motives
Selfish ambition
Unbelief
Idolatry
Sin
Pride
The need to seek validation from men. (Being a people pleaser)
The works of the flesh
Jealousy
Unforgiveness
Anger
Complaints
Criticism
The feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own group.
Drunkenness
Religious spirit
Wrong doctrine.
The scripture says that anyone who participates in these things, the kingdom of God cannot be found in them, therefore they cannot be carriers of God’s glory.
 
Let’s discuss the process of pain as found in John 11.
 
Grief, Lazarus had died. Some relationships must die in our lives. What/who are you grieving? You can grieve a relationship or person that is still alive.
 
Disappointment and the feeling of betrayal. As stated, Jesus appeared to be unconcerned about the plight of his friend Lazarus. His sister felt pain because they didn’t understand why he intentionally didn’t come when he was first informed of Lazarus condition. This is how we often feel when God doesn’t relieve our pain right away.
 
The feeling of being forsaken and forgotten. Although we are never forsaken, when God doesn’t initially responds to your pain, it feels like he has forsaken and abandoned us.
The pain of feeling disregarded, forgotten, despair, anguish, and unbelief.
 
Notice in verse 40, after the people saw Lazarus raised from the dead then many believed. Lazarus testimony was more powerful because he was raised from the dead, rather than his sickness healed.
 
You must die for the glory of God to be revealed in you.
 
What makes people not endure the process of pain?
 
According to Matthew 13:1-23
 
Not understanding
Not having deep roots and turning away when problems and persecution come.
Worries and the lure of wealth.
 
 
Romans 8:35-39 New Living Translation
 
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 
 
36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 
 
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
 
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 
 
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Nothing separates us from the promises of God. We can feel separated from God.
 
Romans 5:3-6
 
New King James Version
 
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces [a]perseverance; 
 
4 and perseverance, [b]character; and character, hope. 
 
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
 
1 Peter 1:6-9
 
New King James Version
 
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been [a]grieved by various trials,
 
 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 
 
When you endure the process of pain, greatness, power, and authority is raised in you.
 
When you endure the pain, then greatness is birthed out in you. I encourage you to finish strong, stand. If you are in the midst of pain, don’t give up or turn away it’s all a part of the process.
 
The pain you may be experiencing is producing the glory out of you.
 
© 2021 Dr. Samaria M Colbert