Abundant Suffering

I have read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 any number of times but have always focused on the comfort that God gives when I have some type of heartache. God gives comfort to His followers so they can give comfort to those around them.

But today I was struck by verse 5: "For we share ABUNDANTLY in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." The thought came to me that suffering because of obedience to Christ can be part of the abundant life He gives His followers. That was a "Whoa!" The abundant life is supposed to be wealth and health and fun times and sweetness and light and beautiful flowers along my path, right? Not suffering. But sharing means getting or giving something to someone else.

Would Jesus Christ actually want to share His suffering with me? I want Him to share the "good" stuff. Could suffering be part of that good stuff? If I'm not suffering am I missing out on something of Jesus?

Paul's suffering in this passage was real, physical suffering "so utterly burdened beyond our strength" that he thought he might actually die and maybe would have preferred death to the suffering. But why did he have to suffer so? "...to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."

When Paul wrote to the Romans he actually said, "...we rejoice in our sufferings..." This makes me really look at my heart, my attitudes, my relationship with Jesus Christ to see if I am worthy to suffer for His name. Would I stand before God and say bring it on! Probably not. But I pray that I whatever suffering might come my way would be used to draw me deeper into God's embrace so that I might share His love and His comfort with others.