Choosing To Suffer Is A Heroic Characteristic
- Details
- Category: Religion
- Published: Tuesday, 24 June 2014 04:08
- Written by Pastor Joe Flores
Pastor Joe Flores
I have preached and heard many others preachers say that Moses greatest quality was that he was the meekest man on the earth. This thinking is derived from Numbers 12: 3.
Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. It is easy to see how the emphasis on Moses meekness catapulted to the top of his many great personal character traits.
With out debunking this conclusion I was attracted to another of Moses leadership qualities that is often quoted and yet under valued by the casual observer. The quality I am referring to is Moses ability to suffer for righteousness. Heb. 11:25 says, Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
The scripture says that Moses CHOOSE to suffer affliction with the people of God... CHOOSING TO SUFFER is a more challenging character trait to master than even choosing to be meek.
I acknowledge Moses greatest personal quality as the ability to choose to suffer with the people of God. This requires a unique strength of being because it is an avoidable suffering.
You mean, that you could have avoided suffering BUT YET, YOU CHOSE THE SUFFERING. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN POPULAR AND YET YOU CHOOSE TO BE DESPISED. You could have circumvented the embarrassing reproach , but yet you choose to experience the reproach.
It would appear to me that the ability to choose suffering is a rare and heroic characteristic that few current day leaders would choose.
Kudos for meekness Moses, but you get a standing ovation for choosing to suffer. - Pastor Joe Flores