A good friend asked me a valuable question the other day.  He wrote, “What does it mean to sanctify God’s name in the context of suffering?”  Here’s what I wrote to him: Buy Fluoxetine Online purchase prednisone Buy Zoloft online

One of the passages that came to mind for me when I read it (sanctify God’s name) was 1 Peter 3, where Peter encourages the scattered believers to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts”.  Since sanctification (the act of sanctifiying) refers to a “setting apart as holy”, I think sanctifying God’s name in trials refers to how I go about thinking through and understanding the trials of my life and how God relates to them.  The man without any natural contentment (in his nature) or spiritual contentment (from grace) will visibly be “disquieted” (it may be displayed as anxiety, anger, etc.).  The man with natural contentment, but no spiritual contentment may be outwardly quiet (not cursing or complaining), but that is the deepest his contentment runs.  Finally, the man with spiritual contentment will not only be outwardly showing a quiet demeanor, but inwardly He is actively sanctifying God’s name.  He is setting apart the name of God in his particular circumstances.  Rather than drag God’s name through the mud as if He is culpable of malicious intent for his circumstances, He is actively reminding Himself that God is holy, without fault….that God is for him and using his circumstances to bless him….He is setting God apart as holy, sanctifying His Name.

Does that make any sense?  Those are the thoughts that run through my mind as God challenges me not to simply be satisfied with looking like I’m content, but actively blessing Him for the daughter who pees all over the floor, the son who doesn’t obey my directions, and the wife who wants to talk to me longer than I want to listen.  Only I know all the discontentedness that’s stirring underneath the facade of calmness on my face.

You can pray He helps me.

How about you?  Are you sanctifying God’s name in your sufferings?