The Ministry of Suffering

Colossians 1:24-26, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the Word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. The Sunday immediately preceding Thanksgiving is usually reserved for a message on giving thanks for the blessings we enjoy. Of course, we all know that because of God's incredible grace and mercy, every day is a day to give thanks.----------We don't often consider the subject of suffering as a typical reason for thanksgiving yet we do see the Apostles rejoicing at the opportunity to suffer for the name of Jesus, James said we should consider it the purest form of joy to face difficulties, and this week's message highlights that Paul started out this passage rejoicing for having the opportunity to suffer for the sake of his brothers and sisters in Christ.----------Think about this thought as you prepare for the message on Sunday: what if your greatest opportunities for ministry and impact came because of potential suffering and pain? Let's consider this together as we give thanks to the one who made the greatest impact on our lives by suffering and dying in our place... for our sin... to provide a means for our salvation!