John 12:27-30 FOR GOD, NOT ME.
"Right now, I am storm tossed. And what am I going to say? 'Father, get me out of this'? No, this is why I came in the first place. I'll say, 'Father, put your glory on display.' " (The Message)
Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew it was going to be painful and he would suffer. How could he go through with it willingly? Because he also knew God would be glorified. He knew people would come to know God through his death. He knew if he concentrated on the "God focus", he could endure the painful ME part. When life gets tough, taking the focus from Me to God can always help us endure. Seeing how a painful (be it emotional, social, or physical pain) experience can glorify God can provide just the impetus needed to carry on. It somewhat reminds me of the adage, "When life gets tough, the tough get going." Be tough in our focus, be tough in pointing the glory to God, and everyone can be a "winner".
What difficult or painful experiences are you having right now? Am I? Could they help others to see God, to see Christ in you and me? Let us keep our focus on glorifying God and we can endure.
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