What a cheerful topic, isn't it? Not really, but it's real. Life on earth isn't always a walk in the park, though we sometimes wish it were in the heat of a moment. Yet, I firmly believe suffering has the ability to refine the believer and yield rich fruits of endurance, loyalty, and a dependence on our Creator. To flourish in life is always encouraging, but too much of a good thing can end up being unhealthy for us -- particularly when it threatens our sincerity to serve and rely on the Lord. The Bible is clear that God has a vested interest in us, an undying love for us, and is here FOR the purpose of keeping us safe (Psalm 46:1, 1 John 4:10, etc.). Why, then, would God allow us to undergo suffering if He loves us THAT much?
I think it would be better to clarify what suffering really is before we go any further. It can come in many different forms. It's not exclusive to physical pain, though it can be. It doesn't only refer to emotional hurt or damage, though it can be. It isn't always spiritual dryness or confusion, though it can be. All of these things would be considered suffering -- something difficult and/or painful to the earthly man. I believe the Bible has lessons to teach us about suffering, though. Is it hard? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.
So, why does God allow us to suffer? Suffering is a discipline. Just as a child needs correction, Christians need reminders of what improvements in their life need to be made. Proverbs 3:12 says, "For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as the father the son in whom he delighteth." Suffering can highlight an area of our life where we are coming up short, and teach us about it. We are ultimately children of God, so we need similar discipline and training to mature into respectable believers. Lessons come from walking in sorrow. There is a significant danger in a life without suffering. We become selfish, devoid of mercy, and too independent for our own good. If we are doing fine alone, why would we turn to another source of comfort, strength, and help? God allows suffering to teach us and to give us ample reason to depend on HIS strength, not our own.
Of course, walking in sorrow isn't fun. Even Job, a man racked with sickness while everything was ripped from him, cried to God: "My soul is weary of my life..." (Job 10:1a). Yet, the full account of his life and suffering tells the real story of a merciful God and the rewards that come from enduring difficulties. Job 42:12 assures us that Job was blessed with more in the latter end of his life than the beginning. After all of the trials, tests, and intense suffering he was put through, God was faithful to reward a just servant. Isaiah 61:7 promises, "For your shame ye shall have double...everlasting joy shall be unto them." God has promised repeatedly that suffering is worth the reward at the end of it.
Plenty of other Biblical characters had to suffer. Think of the emotional pain it caused Abraham as he prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. Consider the spiritual agony Jacob underwent wrestling with the angel. How did it feel for Paul as he sat in jail for preaching the gospel? Yet, each of these stories have a common theme: pillars of the faith, despite their failures in life, learned lessons from suffering. For the cause of Christ, in a time of suffering, Paul penned letters from which we still glean truth today. Christ, the very son of God, suffered tremendously leading up to and on the cross -- for you, for me, for the whole world.
But, while we're in the fire, it's hard to realize God has promised to deliver us and bless us for our steadfastness. It's taxing. It helps to recognize the tangible benefits, too. As humans, we crave instant gratification. Thankfully, God sees there are better ways to teach a soul sold out to Him. I have personally found that the hardest times in life yield the most bountiful fruit. 1 Peter 1 relates the trial of our faith to gold, saying it's even more valuable (I wrote more extensively on this in the previous post). The refining process is what is most important. It purges the impurities and lets the full glory of the Lord radiate.
Ultimately, suffering hinders one of the most common, fleshly struggles: individual empowerment. We tend to drift from God when we feel sufficient in facing life ourselves. But when suffering comes, we realize we aren't enough to fix it. We have to depend on something greater than ourselves, God. That is when we are most teachable, when we are lowly at His feet and pleading for help. The message of the gospel is of forgiveness and redemption, but also the hope of something in life that can sustain us and protect us. Suffering is an integral part of coming to the understanding that we NEED a savior, intercessor, and healer. It is because we serve a loving God that He allows us to suffer -- to learn the most important lessons about dependency on God, the necessity of patience in spite of undesirable circumstances, and the refinement of a complete, mature Christian. I pray that my life can be a testimony of one who favorably responds to adversity and learns the lessons God has for me in the midst of suffering. Pray for me that I continue to walk this heavenly road and do what is pleasing to the Father.
Keep encouraged!
