The Blessing in Suffering

Quote:

“God permits what He hates, to accomplish that which He loves.”

~Joni Eareckson Tada

Scripture:

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

~Romans 5:3-4

Perspective:

Suffering is a word, but especially an action, we try to avoid at all possible costs.  We tend to seek and believe we deserve comfort and security in all areas of our lives, all the time.  When we are put in a position of suffering, we quickly question why  and feel like God has forsaken us.  In other words, we are on Team Jesus until we no longer feel  like He is doing what we believe He should be doing for us.  At times we can treat our Creator like a vending machine, I put my prayer in, now give me what I asked for.  Yet, Jesus suffered during His life and then through a horrible death all for our sins and salvation, for people who He knew would keep sinning and maybe never accept Him as their Savior.  Can you imagine sacrificing your only child for the sins of mankind?  I can’t!  Also, the Bible promises us that life on this earth will have many trials and sorrows, but that we should take heart, because God has overcome the world (John 16:33).  So, then why are we so surprised and hurt when we are faced with suffering?

God does not cause  suffering, but He does allow  suffering to happen in our lives; our suffering is NOT an accident that happened when God was looking away.  Suffering is an opportunity to lean on God for His strength, to grow closer in our relationship with God, and as scripture states, to produce endurance, character, and hope.  As Pastor Levi Lusko stated, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste for we are meant to grow better in the midst of it.  If life was always happy, smooth, and secure, why would we need God?  Why would we need to grow?  We would believe we were doing just fine as is, all on our own.  This temporary life journey on earth happens for two reasons, to love God and our neighbor and to learn and grow in Christ’s image, bringing glory to Him through our actions.  We grow in our discomfort zone, and often we must be pushed into that discomfort zone!  Until we have developed a strong and reliant relationship with Jesus, and it becomes part of our nature to do so, we often don’t rely on God unless we feel like we have no other options.     

God is not necessarily concerned with our daily comfort and security, but rather our overall good and His glory.  He knows our time on earth is a snap compared to eternity, even if it doesn’t always feel like it to us on a daily basis.  In all reality, it is impossible for us to even envision eternity.  He does not like  suffering but uses it to help us grow closer to Him and to grow in His image, to bring as many people to Him and salvation as possible.  It was only through Jesus’ crucifixion that salvation is even possible for us.  Let me say that again, God allowed Jesus to die so salvation is a possibility for us, if we choose to accept Him as our Savior.

The good news is that God redeems satan’s evil acts and our suffering through sanctification (setting us apart and purifying us) and salvation.  One of my favorite Elevation Worship songs sums it up well, “You take what the enemy meant for evil and You turn it for good.”  We must be patient, trusting in God’s ultimate plan for us, and persistently seeking the good in our struggles.  It is HOW we navigate our trials, conflicts, and suffering that matters most to God, for He cares most about our hearts and with that our motives.

True faith involves resiliency, believing that we will suffer but that nothing can break us, that we can and will bounce back from any trial stronger than we were before.  However, you must prepare for the valleys when you are on the mountain tops!  It is when you are at your strongest that you can develop the skills you need to handle those circumstances that will make you feel like you are drowning.  Florida residents do not prep their homes for a hurricane on the day of the storm, that would be setting oneself up for a very difficult battle.  You must be rooted in God’s character in good times and in bad.  One way to do this is to develop your relationship with the Lord even when life feels  relatively smooth and easy.  Immerse yourself in His word and in prayer, get to know Him.  We must be doers of His word, applying what He says to our everyday life.  Have and show gratitude for all that is good within each day.  Seek to lean on Him and grow through all things, especially through the pain, for there is purpose in the pain…don’t waste that opportunity to grow and give the enemy some hits right back through your faith! 

I know suffering is difficult and I don’t want to make growing through it and trusting God completely sound easy.  I am no stranger to suffering!  If you read my soon to be released book: Growth Mindset Living, you will hear many details, starting with a childhood in an alcoholic home and undiagnosed ADHD that affected every area of my life.  Four of my seven immediate family members have died.  A few years ago we had a financial crisis that we are currently fighting our way back from.  My efforts to finish and publish part one of my first two part book have been slowed down the last year and a half by my oldest son’s struggles with severe depression and anxiety.  And most recently, I worked to manage the pain while awaiting the hip replacement I had just 12 days ago.  However, my life dramatically changed when I learned to surrender to Jesus as we struggled to sell our beloved home for a year and a half, with foreclosure looming just ahead of us.  That act of surrender is NOT a one and done, it is a daily recommitment, some days being easier than others, but each day growing in faith and trust in God.  When we have that faith, things might not change on our  timeline, but we change.  If you struggle with trust and faith, ask God to ignite your faith for Him, then ask again and again and watch what happens in time!     

Life Application:

>First, let me strongly suggest you watch a sermon by Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic of over 40 years, who demonstrates living with suffering with unimaginable grace and courage.  You can find many to choose from on YouTube.

Then, think about, better yet write about the times in your life that you have struggled and suffered.  How did you handle those times?  Did you lean on God for His strength when you were at your weakest?  Did you demonstrate God’s grace and love to those around you?  How did you learn, grow, and change through those times?  What can you do going forward to handle future adversities better than those you’ve had in the past?  Practice humbling yourself and admit where you are weak, the more you seek God, the more you will feel His presence and love in your life.