I want Paul's attitude regarding suffering

[spiderman1917]

Just now, angels4u said:

Pauls attitude was to be content in every situation, you did not go through what Paul went through , be careful with your words~~ 

I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. 12I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation — to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. 13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.…Phill.4:12

Paul was not asking to suffer ~

I'm not saying we should ask to suffer.  It's just something I (And many others) have to go through daily at this time, and have reason to believe I should adopt Paul's attitude about those daily trials and afflictions.  A lot of people are in chronic pain.  They aren't asking for it.  They would benefit a lot if they had Paul's attitude toward the suffering that constantly afflicts them is one thing I'm saying. 

[spiderman1917]

2 minutes ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they ^[b]descendants of Abraham? So am I.²³ Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^[c]far more labors, in ^[d]far more imprisonments, ^[e]beaten times without number, often in danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; ²⁷ I have been in labor and hardship, ^[f]through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and ^[g]exposure. ²⁸ Apart from such^[h]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak without my being weak? Who is ^[i]led into sin ^[j]without my intense concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,³³ and I was let down in a basket through a window ^[k]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

 

 

Beautiful!  Thanks!

[Wayne222]

We are called to suffer for christ. God is faithful and not allow you to suffer more then you bear. But after you suffer will make you strong. That could be when we get to heaven.

[simplejeff]

6 hours ago, spiderman1917 said:

 Do you think God will grant some people that grace to love their crosses and afflictions?  Perhaps those of us who have to suffer on a daily basis should pray for that grace.  It would make us a lot happier.

YHWH never stopped pouring out HIS GRACE in Y'SHUA MESSIAH so that as Y'SHUA said ".... so that your joy may be full..."  when these things happen..... has always been true ever since HE said it - for many believers all around the earth, abiding in HIM living HIS LIFE daily.  (not living Paul's life, btw; although "imitating Paul as much as Paul imitated Christ" yes --- living CHRIST'S LIFE daily).

6 hours ago, spiderman1917 said:

I have to suffer daily and will have a lot of suffering and perhaps a painful death in the future, so will be happier if I have Paul's attitude.

Yes as above,  with the warning of course that Paul gave :  "Do not say 'I am of Paul....' "  in the carnal sense (nor of Apollos, nor of any man,  etc ) ....

Yes, also, suffering is guaranteed to all who choose life in Christ Jesus on earth today.  

And perfect joy, peace, and righteousness is given freely along with salvation in Y'SHUA MESSIAH, just as it is written,  to all believers no matter their station in life, or country, or whatever. Peace, Joy, and Righteousness that is a result of YHWH'S DOING in Y'SHUA ,  and is unaffected by circumstances. 

[spiderman1917]

Seeking comfort can make us more wimpy and make our tolerance to suffering decrease, which in the end makes the suffering worse.

Our body tells us to stay in bed when it's time to go to work. That isn't good to cater to the bodie's whim's. Sacrifice and suffering can build strength.

If we seek comfort too often, it will weaken us and lead to more suffering. Try living a suffering-free life and see where it gets you.

Suffering can make us stronger. Boot camp is an example. Any athlete also knows suffering makes a person stronger

Getting somewhere in life takes effort and sacrifice. The person who wishes to chronically avoid suffering won't get anywhere.  

The more your patience is tested, the more patient you become. If your patience is never tested, it doesn't grow much. By developing a tremendous amount of patience, it can lead to less suffering. 
By avoiding all situations where your patience is tested you become weaker.   This can lead to more suffering, and is one example of how avoiding suffering can lead to more suffering. 

[kwikphilly]

Quote

I'm not saying we should ask to suffer.  It's just something I (And many others) have to go through daily at this time, and have reason to believe I should adopt Paul's attitude about those daily trials and afflictions.  A lot of people are in chronic pain.  They aren't asking for it.  They would benefit a lot if they had Paul's attitude toward the suffering that constantly afflicts them is one thing I'm saying.                         spiderman

Yes,many people would benefit greatly if they did have Pauls attitude but they don't,they CHOOSE rather to focus on pain,suffering ,trials,tribulations (all CIRCUMSTANCES)...this is a carnal mind,with the Eternal Mind of Christ we focus on the Goodness ,Glory,Grace of God in Christ,everything else becomes inconsequential.......'

   I'm not about to sit here & list the temporal physical conditions I overcome each day by the Grace of God,His Word has taught me to speak things that are not as though they are & that I am Victorious in Jesus,that HE Who is in me is greater than he who is in the world & that when I am weak,I am made STRONG!!!!It is HIM I BELIEVE & not what the spirit of pain or disease try to convince me of,,,,,,I've learned much from Pauls Letters to the churches,the Written Living Word of God,,,,,,

   You are not adopting Pauls attitude,you have to Understand what Paul was saying first,Paul never considered "self",his afflictions meant NOTHING & he lived for Christ,nothing hindered His access to the Heart & Mind of Christ which is above pain,above suffering,above any obstacle the enemy puts before us,,,,,,,I wonder sometimes what someone with your mindset might do if you walked in the shoes of Nick Vujicec but he has no shoes.he has no legs,no arms.....read his Testimony & you may have a better understanding of what the Apostle Paul was trying to convey    The best part is & this is what you cannot comprehend,,,,,Nick V does not suffer for a moment,he has no afflictions......& neither do I ,once you can "speak" that,then you have Received Understanding

[spiderman1917]

50 minutes ago, Yowm said:

Well then, what good is having the attitude if it is not tested? Sort of like praying for an attitude of patience.

Yes, God tests us with trials, and I thank people here for testing my patience and helping me grow

[RustyAngeL]

On 12/23/2016 at 4:10 PM, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Haven't you already had this conversation? Seems very familiar!

Yes very familiar. 

[Wayne222]

On Monday, December 26, 2016 at 8:38 AM, kwikphilly said:

Yes,many people would benefit greatly if they did have Pauls attitude but they don't,they CHOOSE rather to focus on pain,suffering ,trials,tribulations (all CIRCUMSTANCES)...this is a carnal mind,with the Eternal Mind of Christ we focus on the Goodness ,Glory,Grace of God in Christ,everything else becomes inconsequential.......'

   I'm not about to sit here & list the temporal physical conditions I overcome each day by the Grace of God,His Word has taught me to speak things that are not as though they are & that I am Victorious in Jesus,that HE Who is in me is greater than he who is in the world & that when I am weak,I am made STRONG!!!!It is HIM I BELIEVE & not what the spirit of pain or disease try to convince me of,,,,,,I've learned much from Pauls Letters to the churches,the Written Living Word of God,,,,,,

   You are not adopting Pauls attitude,you have to Understand what Paul was saying first,Paul never considered "self",his afflictions meant NOTHING & he lived for Christ,nothing hindered His access to the Heart & Mind of Christ which is above pain,above suffering,above any obstacle the enemy puts before us,,,,,,,I wonder sometimes what someone with your mindset might do if you walked in the shoes of Nick Vujicec but he has no shoes.he has no legs,no arms.....read his Testimony & you may have a better understanding of what the Apostle Paul was trying to convey    The best part is & this is what you cannot comprehend,,,,,Nick V does not suffer for a moment,he has no afflictions......& neither do I ,once you can "speak" that,then you have Received Understanding

i kind of disagree with you. peter said jesus suffer in the flesh and said we should arm our selfs with the same mind.

[ravindran]

On 12/23/2016 at 5:08 PM, spiderman1917 said:

Colossians 1:24 ►
Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

2 cor 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

He takes pleasure in suffering.  That is brilliant because I and so many others have to suffer every day, and we will be much more happy if we learn to love it (as Paul did.)

let me ask you reader, If there are two children in Somalia starving to death, one of them hates suffering, one of them loves suffering, which do you think suffers more? Which one would you rather be?

Since they don't get to have food, it is their attitude about suffering that makes all the difference in the world.

Paul was shipwrecked, stoned, chronically persecuted, and suffered all kinds of torments, but he learned how to take delight in the trials and suffering.  Do you think God will grant some people that grace to love their crosses and afflictions?  Perhaps those of us who have to suffer on a daily basis should pray for that grace.  It would make us a lot happier.

 

I think there is something very important to understand here. Suffering is different from suffering for the Lord. Paul suffered for the Lord. And that's how he drew strength and found it to be pleasure. Having this understanding is important. Because Lord does not want us to be in suffering all the time. At the same time, He expects us to be contempt with everything we have. More importantly, doing the right thing for Lord irrespective of whether it would bring suffering or not.