Suffer

Philippians 3:10-11 <NLT>

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead.” What a GREAT start to the Bible’s verses that I was pondering this morning. How exciting is this sentence? I mean really…to know and experience Christ’s mighty power? Who wouldn’t want that? Especially a power that was able to raise Him from the dead. Imagine it. How great would that be? I say “Yes Lord! I’m in! 100%. All the way. You can count on me. Where do I sign up?”

And I keep feeling that way for a very brief moment. It would have lasted longer if I had stopped at that sentence and not finished reading this verse. However, it goes on to say “I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death”. WHAT? Ummmm, wait a minute (imagine hearing brakes squealing here). Suffer? Share in His death? I read the Book and I’m not sure I like the sound of this. Christ suffered more than any human could possibly endure. Betrayal, beating, crucifixion. I remember reading how He prayed so hard one night that His sweat was like drops of blood. I don’t think I’ve ever broken a sweat while praying. I’ve prayed long and hard. I’ve prayed with intensity and tears. I’ve fallen to my knees in despair but nothing I’ve experienced could be described with the word picture given of Christ praying.

Perhaps I jumped on the band wagon of this verse too quickly. AND…verse 10 ends with a comma. I’m just a little scared to read the next verse but if I don’t then I won’t know how this thought ends. What to do, what to do. Read on or stop here. I pause, take a deep breath and read on:

“so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Life after death! To share in His death, to suffer with Him leads to eternal life with Him. I don’t know exactly what that eternal life will be like. All the details of eternity have not been given. But I do know Christ and I know what He did on the cross for me. For me! Someone completely unworthy and undeserving. To follow Christ into eternity means to follow Him while I’m still here on earth. To live a life that sets me apart from the things that are common among men. To be misunderstood, ridiculed, perhaps abandoned. To experience His mighty power and to suffer with Him. I do not have the liberty to pick and choose what I like about my Christian walk. It is not a “mix and match” kind of faith. It is all or nothing.

I choose all.

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”    Philippians 3:10-11