Read John 13:31
It’s Good, Not Bad, When It Goes From Good To Bad.
Right after Judas left the Passover dinner to begin his betrayal of Jesus, Jesus said, “Now the son of man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.”
Everything that is about to happen to Jesus is horrific, but through the whole process, right down to the very beginning, is all about glorifying Jesus and God.
In our minds, it’s hard for us to equate pain and suffering with that which brings glory to God. If God is being glorified then there must have been some kind of miracle healing, or happy occurrence.
But in this case, Jesus’ whole process of suffering is what is actually bringing about the glorification. That’s because his suffering is the very thing that was needed to bring forgiveness and salvation to the world.
Think of difficult times you go through: the pain, the struggles, the tears, the frustrations, etc. Do you see them as a nuisance that is worthy to be removed by God?
Or do you see them as opportunities to grow and be more like Jesus?
Next time you see your day go from good to bad, rather than complain, swear, yell, or start mumbling to God, instead show a little Joy. Why? Because you know that when things go from good to bad, that it means God is going to be glorified through the circumstances laid before you. That should excite us even though we face pain and suffering. The outcome is amazing if we would persevere.
