Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15)
Have you ever been around someone that every time you see them, they are complaining about something? I have. Often when I ride a certain bus route at a certain time a lady gets on the bus and is greeted by others that know her. Within a minute she proceeds to very loudly tell everyone in great detail how awful things are where she works. The boss is a moron, her co-workers are incompetent, and the procedures they use for doing things are stupid. While doing this, she consistently proclaims that if it was not for her, nothing would get done and everyone would get fired. When she gets off at her stop, you can see the look of painful suffering on everyone’s face change to a more relaxed and peaceful look.
No matter who you are, we all go through tough times. However, we often seem to think that nobody has it as bad as we do. The same can be said when it comes to applying the Word of God to our troubles. Many seem to think that if they just throw up a prayer in desperation, that God will, with the swipe of His hand, make life easy and peaceful again. If this was the case, don’t we think that Jesus would have done that when He walked this earth in human flesh? No, He was tempted in all points like we are, yet He never sinned in the process (Hebrews 4:14-15). The difference is that when He was cursed and yelled at, He did not return the same. When He was threatened, He did not threaten back. He did not have a pity party for Himself and complain about how bad, stupid, and ignorant everyone else was. Instead, He looked to the Father, as the righteous judge, Who would make all things right at the appropriate time (1 Peter 2:20-25). In doing so, He endured the slander, the abuse, the injustices, and even the death on the cross, all without allowing Himself to dishonor the Father because His hope was in the promises of the Father. We must take to heart what Jesus did for us, use Him as our example, and present our lives as a living sacrifice out of love and appreciation for what He did for us (1 Peter 2:21 ; Romans 12:1-2; 1 John 4:19).
