Suffering: Are you ready?

This past Sunday, we discussed several saints who endured suffering with joy because of their faith in Christ. Just to recap:
* we talked about Joni Eareckson Tada, who was paralyzed when she was 17 and now must use a wheel chair and cannot do much for herself. She has dedicated her life though to serving others and sharing her story, and she now considers her paralysis a blessing because it has drawn her near to God.
* We talked about Steve Saint, whose father was killed in the Ecuador mission in 1956 along with Jim Eliot and others. Steve Saint views his father's death as planned by God. He feels that God's purpose in the death of his father was to glorify himself and to ignite foreign missions work.
* Finally, we heard about the Backstrom family who lost 3 sons in a car accident where a drunk driver had swerved into their lane and hit them head on. During a newspaper interview, the father stated in tears that their boys were with their Lord Jesus, and his prayer was that others would be drawn to Christ because of his boy's death and that God would be glorified.
* And, of course, we heard about the very brave soldiers from World War II that were willing to sacrifice their lives for our freedom.

In some of these examples, suffering was brought by circumstances completely outside of the people's control. I know that really everything is outside of our control and in God's hands, but bear with me. In the case of Joni Eareckson Tada and the Backstrom family, accidents occurred during everyday life. However, in the case of Steve Saint's father (the missionary), and the soldiers, they chose to put themselves in situations where they might lose their life. And then, in the case of the missionaries and the soldiers, there was a definitive moment where they had the opportunity to lose their lives for others and rather than running from it, they were willing to lay it down.

I draw these distinctions for a purpose. I think we are called to be willing to sacrifice and lose it all, even our life, for Jesus. It is God's choice whether any risk we take in His cause, will result in suffering or death. He can deliver us from any circumstance and sometimes, as we see in the case of Steve Saint's dad, He did not deliver him from death because He had a purpose that would result in His glory and the salvation of His people.

That's where I'm at right now. God is challenging me to ask myself some difficult questions. I'm not persecuted nor is anyone around me, I have more than I need to live, I'm healthy, and on and on. So, if we are called to be willing to sacrifice everything, including our lives, for the cause of Christ (see Luke 9:23-26 and other verses), what does that mean for me? I think it means being willing to take risks in order to glorify God and save others. Could mean risking reputation, people's approval, comfort, leisure time, money, and many other things. This study has just really challenged to look at my life and start asking, what am I really doing for the cause of Christ? Where I am just coasting by? I'm very convicted to say the least. Thank God for His mercy and patience. It's exciting though (weird, huh) because this study has also been convincing to show that this kind of life will fulfill our deepest desires for joy!

Consider these questions: Do you agree that we are called in the bible to a life of sacrifice, which may result in suffering, for the cause of Christ?

Do you think the American Church as a whole is ready to lay down its life for in the cause of Christ? How about you? Why or why not?