Pill Bug
How do you react to pain and stress? I have observed, in both myself and others, that people tend to turn inwards during times of pressure and suffering. This always reminds me of pill bugs. Those are the little gray bugs you see that roll up into a ball when distressed. Poor little guys, I always feel so bad for them when I see them do that. Anyway, the result of this turning inwards is an increased focus on both self and the suffering. The more self-focused we become, the less we are able to focus on God and others. The Bible instructs us to do the exact opposite:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
– Colossians 3:2
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
– Philippians 2:3-4
Not only does God give us commands about this in His Word, but He also shares with us many wonderful examples of those who obeyed them. One of my favorites is when the Apostle Paul was stoned by an angry mob and left for dead. Sounds like he earned himself a few days of “me time” on the couch, eating ice cream, right? That is not how he responded at all. Instead, he got up and went right back to work preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ out of love for God and others!
“But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.”
– Acts 14:19-20
As amazing as this was, there is no example that could ever compare to that of our Lord while on the cross. The pure and holy God-man was in extreme physical agony after being savagely beaten and nailed to a cross. Worse than His physical suffering, though, He was on the brink of receiving the wrath of God the Father for our sin. Despite all of this, He was not focused on His personal suffering, rather He was focused on obedience to God’s plan, fulfilling Scripture, and loving others.
He offered salvation to the thief on the cross, who had been reviling Him earlier.
“And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise’.”
– Luke 23:42-43
He ensured his mother would be properly taken care of after His death:
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
– John 19:26-27
He felt compassion and asked the Father to forgive those who rejected and tortured Him.
“And Jesus said, ’Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.”
– Luke 23:34
None of us have or ever will experience the level of suffering that Jesus Christ did. None of us will ever handle suffering as righteously as He did, either. However, we are to strive towards it. We are to fight the compulsion to roll up like a pill bug and focus on self. We are to do as the following passage commands:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
– Hebrews 12:1-2
As Jesus showed us, joy through suffering is possible when we focus on the Lord, His will, His people, and the outcome of enduring- partaking in the Lord’s victory!
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
–1 Corinthians 15:57
Love in Christ,
Monica Ledford