The View from Rock Bottom by Stephanie Tait

Author:Stephanie Tait
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736972239
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

If our own suffering is a powerful tool used to shape us into the image of Christ, how much more powerful could it be to follow His example here and run willingly into the suffering of others? In what greater way could we look to the interests of others, and what better opportunities could there be to empty ourselves and take on the form of servants, than in actively seeking to bear witness to the pain in our midst, faithfully holding space for those who mourn and lovingly choosing to share in the sufferings of others? I see ripples of this idea in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2). I can’t think of a stronger identifier of becoming Christlike than fulfilling His law.

Again, these threads weave and intersect and bring new dimension to our tapestry of suffering. Our pain becomes the link that carries us from mere Christian orthodoxy, having biblical beliefs, to true Christian orthopraxy, having Christlike practices and behaviors. Paul shows us in Romans that salvation by grace (orthodoxy) leads to hope, but that our suffering leads to the character (orthopraxy) that ultimately cements that hope. James shows us that participating in Christ’s suffering doesn’t only help us know Him more (orthodoxy), but actually transforms us to be more like Him, as evidenced by our behavior toward others (orthopraxy). In winding through these verses from Philippians and Galatians, we see Paul’s reminders that Jesus not only willingly bore our burden on the cross to offer us salvation by grace (orthodoxy), but that we, too, are called to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (orthopraxy). If the question of modern discipleship is how to grow believers from a mere belief in Christ (orthodoxy) to a genuine faith that is both enduring and outwardly fruitful (orthopraxy), then suffering and learning to suffer well would appear to be the key.

If we return for a moment to Philippians 2, we see this illuminated in a whole new way: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12, emphasis added).

Now, Bible publishers usually separate chapters into smaller sections with titles labeling their different themes, and in my copy of the Bible, they separated out verses 1 through 11 as one segment and began a new segment with verse 12. It would have been easy to end my reading of our earlier passage at verse 11 and miss entirely what Paul says here. Likewise, I have seen verse 12 most commonly presented without any of the earlier context. It’s helpful to remember that Philippians was originally a handwritten letter Paul sent to the church in Philippi, and these broken segments and subtitles didn’t exist then.

Also, take special note of the word therefore at the beginning of this verse, which would suggest Paul is building directly on his previous thought.

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