Our share of the suffering

We know how Jesus suffered for our sins so that we may receive eternal life when we accept Lord Jesus as the Christ and our saviour. But we are also called to share the suffering as part of following Jesus Christ. But how do we share the suffering? You know, Jesus’s calling for us is to walk on the path of righteousness and love. And the path of righteousness is never easy. We may not suffer as Jesus or others suffered physically by martyrdom, but there is another kind of suffering we must undergo if we are to follow the Lord. Temptation on this world is present at every step and corner to challenge and try us. We want not to submit to lust, but temptations giving rise to lust to various mediums are always present. So when we get tempted it’s nothing less of a struggle and war within ourselves. Our commitment to Christ and to walk on His ways forces our conscience to struggle against the mind stricken with lust and temptations. And this struggle is nothing less of a suffering in itself. And we have to endure this suffering. This is the suffering at the least that we have to bear and endure as part of our commitment to follow Jesus Christ. This is our share of suffering. So do not get discouraged by the battle that ensues in you when you are tempted. Endure the fight with temptation gladly, knowing it to be your share of suffering and your share of the cross, and by faith and conviction in the power of the Lord emerge victorious. For it is a greater joy to have battled with temptation and emerge victorious than to giving into temptation for perishable pleasures of the never satisfied senses.