Today’s post was intended for Sunday, and yesterday’s post was meant for Monday. When I did this post for Monday morning on Saturday afternoon, I saved it incorrectly. Sorry for the mixup.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, he made no threats. Instead, He entrusted himself to Him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:21-23
“Then said our good Lord Jesus Christ: Art thou well pleased that I suffered for thee? I said: Yea, good Lord, I thank Thee; Yea, good Lord, blessed mayst Thou be. Then said Jesus, our kind Lord: If thou art pleased, I am pleased: it is a joy, a bliss, an endless satisfying to me that ever suffered I passion for thee; and if I might suffer more, I would suffer more…
For which love He said full sweetly these words: If I might suffer more, I would suffer more. He said not, If it were needful to suffer more: for though it were not needful, if He might suffer more, He would. This deed, and this work about our salvation, was ordained as well as God might ordain it. And here I saw a full bliss in Christ: for His bliss should not have been full, if it might any better have been done.”
Julian of Norwich (c. 1342-c. 1416) in Revelations of Divine Love (Grand Rapids: CCEL, 1966), p. 25-26.
Today marks the seventh of seven posts in which Julian of Norwich uses my word for the year – needful – in her famous work, Revelations of Divine Love.
Here she interacts with Jesus who gives thanks for the privilege of suffering for her and expresses that if it was needful he would have suffered more. Think about this.
As we have been called to follow in Christ’s steps to suffer, likewise it may be needful for us to suffer more. Are we willing to suffer more like Jesus?
Today I depart for Holland, Michigan where I will serve for about 36 hours to facilitate a peer study at Western Seminary with representatives from ten leading seminaries in the USA.
I’ve facilitated this for 23 years. It’s a bit a work but really rewarding as it helps strengthen generosity to these schools who train thousands of students for lives of ministry and service.
Then I head to Pakistan for service from 14-23 April 2026. Click here if you would like to give to help send me. I will do ministry, shoot videos, and open up educational pathways for Christian workers.
When a close friend asked me last week if it was safe to travel to Pakistan, I replied, “No, it’s not safe.” But I do not go because it is safe. I go because God open doors and calls me to serve.
Though the U.S. State Department says, “Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.” I am eager to return to Pakistan for my third visit.
God does great work through servants willing, if necessary, to suffer more. Where is He calling you to serve?