YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE!

“Thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted...There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man...for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have...knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world...their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

(1 Kgs. 2:26; 1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thes.2:14; 1 Pet. 5:9: Rev. 6:11)

Do you see the prevailing theme in each of these five texts? It is not difficult. The common thread is commonness. The simple teaching is, none of us are alone in life’s afflictions, temptations, sufferings, etc. It is most embarrassing, to say the least, to speak to someone about our ills only to find they have like conditions, many times much worse.

The greatest danger in our narcissistic thinking along these lines is that we will be prone to take unwarranted and unscriptural liberties. Our carnal reasoning will be "since no one else knows what I’m experiencing, I am justified in any and all of my actions." Elijah had this problem. He needed to be reminded there were 7000 others like him.

All of us in the family of God need to realize that no matter what our brother or sister’s temperament may be, their station in life, or what plateau they’re on spiritually, they struggle with the same plagues of the heart as we do. It is refreshing as well as encouraging during our dark days to know that all the saints,

in all ages, were people just like us-- great or small!

"MEN OF LIKE PASSIONS"

By An Old Disciple