What does "offer it up" mean?

jennynd · 07-28-2006, 09:53 AM

I feel dumb asking this question. I am a devout Catholic and am actually working toward teaching religion classes at a Catholic high school. But, there is something I don't understand...

Whenever someone complains about a hardship in their life, everyone always says "Offer it up", like offer it up to God. I don't understand what this means. I know that many saints who have suffered have said that suffering was their greatest gift and that it brought them joy to suffer for the Lord.

I really don't get this. I am on the verge of a PCOS diagnosis and have been terribly ill these past weeks. When I am in so much pain and suffering, all I want is for it to go away. I am certainly finding no joy in it. I can't understand how to "offer it up" but I desperately want to. I understand God won't give me more than I can handle, and I understand turning to God in times of illness(and health), but I've never understood this "offering up" stuff.

If someone could help me, that'd be great

I'd especially appreciate a Catholic perspective on this since that's where I'm coming from. Thanks ladies!!

hopingforababysoon · 07-28-2006, 02:12 PM

give it to the lord

Jashobeam · 07-28-2006, 04:42 PM

I don't know when the exact phrase became so popular, but the meaning is that we are to give our burdens to God.

Matthew 11:28-30
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

James 5:12-14
12Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Acts 10:5
The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter

2 Timothy 1:12
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Romans 8:18
[ Future Glory ] I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

2 Corinthians 1:5
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Philippians 3:10
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Jesus:
Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

The entire chapter of Isaiah 53 is a great one to study to see about Jesus' suffering and how He did it for God and how it was God's will. A really cool chapter

Cameryn · 07-29-2006, 05:08 PM

Yeah, what Jashobeam said! (She and I almost always agree!)

jennynd · 07-29-2006, 10:15 PM

Thanks... I'm starting to get it, I think...

1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

2 Corinthians 1:5
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

So, maybe it's like if we can allow Christ's comfort to be more abundant in our lives than our(His) suffering, then we can find joy in that? I guess that does make sense. And I suppose that experiencing suffering on earth shows us even more how glorious His Kindom is. Hmm... something is clicking!

Jashobeam · 07-29-2006, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennyinfargo

Thanks... I'm starting to get it, I think...

1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

2 Corinthians 1:5
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

So, maybe it's like if we can allow Christ's comfort to be more abundant in our lives than our(His) suffering, then we can find joy in that? I guess that does make sense. And I suppose that experiencing suffering on earth shows us even more how glorious His Kindom is. Hmm... something is clicking!

Another one:

Paul and Silas praise God after suffering a beating:
Acts 16
23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.