When one enters the service of God through Jesus Christ it is always a matter of becoming a part of everything that God is doing in all of life. Saint Paul addresses one of the more painful realities in his letter to the Philippians 1.29-30:  For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, This is a gift from God the Father to each of us in order that we might know full well the price of our redemption and salvation.

This response to God’s call to us goes much farther than merely having a really good attitude about what God is now doing in and through us:  not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, At the first glance we might find our reaction to be one of not having signed up for pain and suffering at all. This call is for far more than skin-deep service, however, but has to do with entering into the suffering Jesus did for us.

And this call to suffering is not just wasted on those mature in their faith walk; but is to be a part of each of our lives:  since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, As we begin to get serious with Jesus we will discover that he has every intention of getting serious with us, and desires to rid us of any and all things which may hinder our ability to serve him with all we are, have, and can ever be.

It is a well-known fact that God really understands us as humans and as individuals as well. He will not hide from us the cost of service to him over our years—however long that may be:  and now hear that I still have. But he will never leave us without his power present to deal with any and all discomfort in our service to the Kingdom of God. Our hearts need to seek to know God as well as he already knows us.