Romans 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Paul talks of our incredibly privileged position as children of God, and therefore co-heirs with Christ – but keep reading what the rest of the verse says. We can be under no illusions that it will all be sweetness and light.
Oswald Chambers died of a ruptured appendix, aged 43, whilst serving the Lord in Egypt as a Chaplain in the First World War. He said: “If you have to calculate what you are willing to give up for Jesus Christ never say that you love Him. Jesus Christ asks us to give up the best we have got to Him, our right to ourselves.” So often we seek a more comfortable cross; we settle for respectable religion; we embrace a pale diluted distortion of true authentic discipleship; and in what has become an entrenched entitlement culture, giving up the right to ourselves is about as counter-cultural and counter-intuitive as you can get.
Yet what a privilege that any of us, in any capacity, at any time, in any place, can serve the King of Kings! When you’re tempted to think of God’s work as a hardship, remember David Livingstone’s words: “If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honour, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?”
Lord, I’ll be honest and say I like the idea of being a co-heir with Christ and sharing in his glory, but I’m not so keen on sharing in his sufferings. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on you today, to maintain a good attitude, to embrace the challenges and difficulties, and to live out my faith with a sense of privileged humility and joy. For Christ’s sake, Amen!
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