Come. Walk this Way....

In today's "Our Daily Bread" (January 5), it references 2 Timothy 2:1-10 where Paul is calling on Timothy to not be (in my own words) suffer along with him in his efforts to spread the Good News.

Now, i get it.  He's basically saying that the road we have chosen is hard and may involve pain, persecution and what-not.  That Timothy should be willing to except that.  That makes sense.

However, although i have read these verse many times in my years, for some reason, i'm reading the differently today.  The meaning i'm getting is that Paul is saying "BECAUSE i'm going through this you MUST go through it too".  Every ounce of logic in my body (which i know ain't much) tells me i shouldn't take it that way, i still am.  And so, i'm going to run with it for now.

Right or wrong, i don't know that i could EVER ask anyone to suffer just because i am.  Do i really have the right to ask that of anyone?

Now, i don't have any problem encouraging anyone to follow God's Word or in Christ's footsteps, which often involve hardships, but i just don't think i could ever say to someone "well because i'm suffering, you must suffer too".  For me, it's more like "while i may be suffering right now, i hope and pray that, in your walk, you don't have to suffer in the ways i have" or "i wish you all the joys that come with this path we have chosen".

Does any of that make sense?

Anyway, wherever you are in your walk with Christ, i hope our paths cross even in the smallest way because i will consider myself enriched by having experienced that meeting.  God bless.



laters.