Serving and Suffering

"Why do you treat your servant so badly?" Moses asked the LORD. Numbers 11:11

My father had a heart attack when I was actively serving God through Christ's Youth in Action (CYA), a movement for college students in the Philippines. In CYA, I was doing retreats, prayer meetings, keeping students in their relationship with Jesus, forming small groups of support and training young people for God's vineyard. Doing all these things, I received a small amount of compensation which was good for my food and transportation expenses. It was still vivid in my mind how my father succumbed to heart attack, as I was with him, when that happened. We quickly brought him to the nearest hospital for medical attention. After that, I continued to my CYA activities scheduled prior to the tragic event. I was thinking, I was giving a Christian Life Seminar (CLS) for college students while my father lies in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I was trying to share a new lease of life to students yet my father lies dying. I was providing my time for God yet I can't even provide for my father's hospital bills. Every time, I came from each CYA event I was wondering if my father is still in coma or can be in a coffin.

When we are serving God, we sometimes think we are insulated from suffering. We maybe thinking we are super over hardships and difficulties of life. This is not the case. This is not true. We serve God since we are called and we were chosen. We partake in His work. Yet we still live in an imperfect world. We still breathe in a challenging broken world. When trials and problems come our way when we serve the Lord, this is the best time we can show God our steadfast loyalty. And His grace will always be available to strengthen His servants. We serve God not because we don't want to suffer but because we are privilege to serve to King of Kings.

During those trying times, wrestling with God and my lowly emotions, God enlightened me which I carry all my life - Serving God is not an excuse to suffering and suffering is not an excuse to serving God.