LEGITIMATE & ILLEGITIMATE SUFFERING

Introduction
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Heb 12:7-11 NIV)

v7Tiisin ninyo ang lahat ng hirap bilang pagtutuwid ng isang ama, dahil ito'y nagpapakilalang kayo'y tinatanggap ng Diyos bilang tunay niyang mga anak. Sinong anak ang hindi dinidisiplina ng kanyang ama? v8Kung ang pagdidisiplina na ginagawa sa lahat ng anak ay hindi gagawin sa inyo, hindi kayo tunay na mga anak kundi kayo'y mga anak sa labas. v9Hindi ba't dinidisiplina tayo ng ating mga magulang, at dahil diyan ay iginagalang natin sila? Hindi ba't upang tayo'y mabuhay, mas nararapat na tayo'y pasakop sa Diyos na ating Ama sa espiritu? v10Sa loob ng maikling panahon, dinisiplina tayo ng ating mga magulang para sa ating ikabubuti. Gayundin naman, itinutuwid tayo ng Diyos sa ikabubuti natin upang tayo'y maging banal tulad niya. v11Habang tayo'y itinutuwid, hindi tayo natutuwa kundi naghihinagpis, ngunit pagkatapos niyon, mararanasan natin ang kapayapaang bunga ng matuwid na pamumuhay.

CHARACTERS OF LEGITIMATE SUFFERING

I. All Sons And Daughters Of God Will Undergo And Experience The Pain Of Legitimate Suffering. Because Of This, We Must Submit To God To Experience The Life With Him As Sons And Daughters Of God.

Responses 1) Acceptance Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.* It is great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - it is no longer difficult. The fact life is difficult no longer matters.

Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead they moan more of less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life should be easy. They voice their belief, noisily or subtly, that their difficulties represent a unique kind of affliction that should not be and that has somehow been especially visited upon them, or else upon their families, their tribe, their class, their nation, their race or even their species, and not upon other. I know about this moaning because I have done my share.

Life is a series of problems. Do we want to moan about them or solve them? Do we want to teach our children to solve them?

*The first of the "Four Noble Truths" which Buddha taught was 'Life is Suffering' -Scott Peck , The Road Less Travelled James 1:2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, (Jam 1:2 NRS)

2) Avoidance

Most of us are not so wise. Fearing the pain involved, almost all of us, to a greater degree, attempt to avoid problems. We procrastinate, hoping that they will go away. We ignore them, forget them, pretend they do not exist. We even take drugs to assist us in ignoring them, so that by deadening ourselves to the pain we can forget the problems that cause the pain. We attempt to skirt around problems rather that meet them head on We attempt to get out of them rather than suffer through them. .. -Scott Peck , The Road Less Travelled

BASIS OF ALL MENTAL ILLNESS This tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis of all human mental illness. Since most of us have this tendency to a greater or lesser degress, most of us are mentally ill to a greater or lesser degree, lacking complete mental health. Some of us will go to suffering they cause, proceeding far afield from all that is out building the most elaborate fantasies in which to live, sometimes to the total exclusion of reality. In the succinctly elegant words of Carl Jung, "Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering." -Scott Peck , The Road Less Travelled NEUROSIS - a mental illness resulting in high levels of anxiety , unreasonable fears and behaviour and, often, a need to repeat actions unnecessarily

II.

Discipline is Unpleasant & Painful

paidei, paidei,a, aj, h` training, discipline Legitimate Suffering for a child Feeding him Taking a nap Brushing his/her teeth Taking a bath medicines vaccines toilet training disciplining studying and going to school Christian disciplines;

III.

We Must Choose Discipline For A Short While Or Suffering Judgement?

The discipline of delayed gratification Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with. It is the only decent way to lie. The opposite of "Play now, Pay later."

III.

But the fruit is Righteousness & Peace for those who Are Trained by it

Growth : It can not be that the people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading. A reading people will always be a knowing people. JOHN WESLEY I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first 3 hours in prayers. Martin Luther Physical Growth is through physical exertion Spiritual Growth is through Legitimate of Suffering, a Suffering approve by God. Minister ask himself: I am thinking how can this church grow? But the painful question is how can I grow as a leader of this church? But the most painful is the answer, we is as the apostles have said in (Act 14:22 NIV) 14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. v22Pinalakas nila ang loob ng mga alagad at pinayuhang manatiling tapat sa pananampalataya. "Daranas muna tayo ng maraming kapighatian upang makapasok sa kaharian ng Diyos," sabi nila sa mga alagad.

Meaning Yet it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn. Warning (Jud 1:18-19 NIV) 18 They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. v18Noon pa'y sinabi na nila sa inyo, "Sa huling panahon, may lilitaw na mga taong mapanlait at alipin ng masasamang nasa ng laman." v19Ito ang mga taong lumilikha ng pagkakabaha-bahagi, mga taong alipin ng kanilang masasamang nasa at hindi pinapanahanan ng Espiritu.

Jesus (Mar 10:45 NRS) - 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Apotle Paul and early Christians 2Ti 4:5-8 - 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (NIV)

v5Ngunit ikaw, maging mahinahon ka sa lahat ng oras, magtiis ka sa panahon ng kahirapan, gampanan mo ang tungkulin ng isang mangangaral ng Magandang Balita at pagbutihin mo ang iyong paglilingkod. v6Sapagkat dumating na ang panahon ng pagpanaw ko sa buhay na ito. Ako'y mistulang isang handog na ibinubuhos sa dambana. v7Pinagbuti ko ang aking pakikipaglaban, natapos ko na ang dapat kong takbuhin, at nanatili akong tapat sa pananampalataya. v8Makakamtan ko na ang koronang nakalaan sa mga matuwid. Sa Araw na iyon, ang Panginoon na siyang makatarungang Hukom, ang siyang magpuputong sa akin ng korona; hindi lamang sa akin, kundi sa lahat ng nananabik sa kanyang pagbabalik.

Abraham Lincoln Didn't Quit The sense of obligation to continue is present in all of us. A duty to strive is the duty of us all. I felt a call to that duty. Abraham Lincoln

Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln. If you want to learn about somebody who didn't quit, look no further. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many timesbut he didn't and because he didn't quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country. Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln's road to the White House:

1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them. 1818 His mother died. 1831 Failed in business. 6

1832 Ran for state legislaturelost. 1832 Also lost his jobwanted to go to law school but couldn't get in. 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt. 1834 Ran for state legislature againwon. 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken. 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months. 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislaturedefeated. 1840 Sought to become electordefeated. 1843 Ran for Congresslost. 1846 Ran for Congress againthis time he wonwent to Washington and did a good job. 1848 Ran for re-election to Congresslost. 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home staterejected. 1854 Ran for Senate of the United Stateslost. 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national conventiongot less than 100 votes. 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate againagain he lost. 1860 Elected president of the United States.

The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, "It's a slip and not a fall." Abraham Lincoln After losing a senate race Source Unknown