Suffering Sucks
If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that suffering is awful. Jesus-followers, unbelievers, atheists, agnostics . . . pretty much every sane person loathes suffering. Since the beginning of recorded history, people have engaged religion to explain the ‘why’ of suffering.
Like everyone else, Christians try to connect suffering and sin. But in one strong sentence, God set that one straight. He says, “The wages of sin is death,” not suffering. Sin is so serious to Holy God that even one little sin is punishable by death. No amount of suffering pays for it, so rule that one out. If you’re suffering, it’s not because God is paying you back. He doesn’t work that way.
Now don’t take me wrong . . . suffering can be a result of our sin. We can suffer the consequences of our decisions. When they’re sinful, selfish, or careless, we usually do suffer. There’s also suffering from the sins of others. For example, a teenager sneaks out, gets drunk, hits you broadside leaving you paraplegic (of course, he walks away unscathed).
But what about suffering that just happens? People with cancer. Chronic pain. People whose lives are marked with misfortune and loss. Suffering that just is.
The answer I’ve come to isn’t very satisfying but its true. Suffering provides contrast between Jesus-followers and everyone else. It is for God’s glory and He only gets it when we respond to suffering differently from others.
How do I know this? Because of what Jesus said. When His friend Lazarus was sick, He didn’t come running, He let Lazarus lie dead for a couple of days, then came and raised him up, saying it was so God would get more glory. There was more contrast for God to raise a dead man than heal a sick man. Someone said suffering gives our Christian character the chance to shine like a diamond in contrast to its black velvet case. That’s contrast. Suffering gives Jesus-followers the chance to showcase Christian character.
I’m in ‘week three’ of hip pain from some whacky pinched nerve in my lower back. Big-time pain. Little sleep. Ugly. In one of my sleepless nighttime meanderings, I said “God what’s the purpose in this? Jesus had purpose for His suffering. I can’t find any real purpose for mine. Can’t we move on here? Heal me so I can keep doing your work?”
No sooner than I’d said it, thoughts flooded my mind. Pictures (from the Mel Gibson movie I’m sure) of Jesus whipped to shreds. Earthquakes at His death. The terror of being separated from the Father, the weight of His burden, the unfairness of Jesus, a perfect man and God Himself, taking all our death sentences and serving them, the excruciating physical pain of Roman crucifixion . . . lay that beside a pinched sciatic nerve. Now THAT is contrast! It still hurts but my perspective changed.
Suffering was, is and will be a part of life here on earth. It ends when our next life begins, and that’s sooner than most of us think. Lean into suffering as best you can. Don’t blame God, connect with Him. He’ll go through it with you. And that is enough.
Prayer: Holy Father, please remove the burden of false guilt from those who suffer and think it’s because of something they did that made you mad. Help those who suffer because of others to forgive. Make your Presence known to those who think they’re suffering alone. Give each of us a sense of your power, warmth, and love. We love you Lord . . . we love you. Amen.
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Responses (7)
regi, i feel that post wasnt sent out accidently.i have been going thru alot and my wife says to me well we just need to pray on it.the comment i gave her makes me believe that god sent it to tell me something. what i told he was well you go ahead and pray to him because he aint answering me. reading it again took me back to the car where we were talking about the current situation. in all actuallity i have forgotten about prayer and really have just self relied on my self and have forgotten about praying cuz i felt god was not hearing me, when in deed he has been.i felt like a jerk, for turning my back on him and as i was talking to my mom this morning about whats going on in my life i said to her,mom im fine its just kinda tricky trying to get thru the dark with no light whn in all actuallity god has had his light on me,my family is healthy,they have a home n food and god has not forgotten us.she says son trust in god and dont let go of his hand for he is the one guiding you thru the dakness.i came back to reality and here at my desk this morning broke down and asked god to forgive me.just thought id sharethis with you.so it was no accident.thank you regi
Ray – this made my day. I now know why I was led to write the post. It was for you. Congratulations on God’s forgiveness. Be sure you accept it and forgive yourself as well. Whatever it was, it’s over. “As far from you as ‘the east is from the west'”
Godspeed in feeling better.
Regi
After decades of suffering, progressiveely increasing pain, I no longer ask God why, or blame him. I only ask him “to please remove and the sooner the better”.. I no longer have the patience to bear this any longer.
Larry . . . I hear you. I’ve had mine for three weeks. I can’t imagine what you’re experiencing. But think about these ideas for a minute. 1) Think of the patience God’s had with you. All your life. Through the good, the bad and the ugly. Won’t you try to be patient a little while longer? 2) As I said in the post, people are watching how you handle suffering. Your doctor, the nurses, family, friends – you have been given a platform from which you’ll expose your flesh or Jesus. You won’t get it right every time but when you do, it’ll register with those around you. Your pain fulfills a purpose that way. 3) Don’t stop trying to find a cure. Remember the blind man who’d sat by the pool for all those years? He’d given up hope . . . wasn’t even trying to be the first one in the pool. Don’t be ‘that guy’. Go to a different doctor, a different kind of doctor. With my sacral joint/sciatic nerve deal, I’ve been to a ton of doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists. I tried every pain med to no avail. Out of the blue, my dermatologist son suggested a med given to shingles patients. I’ve taken it three days now and slept last night for the first time in three weeks. You never know how, through whom, or when healing might come. But it will. Guaranteed. Even if it’s when He decides it’s time to change addresses. But that’s got to be HIS decision, not ours. I’ll pray for you Larry.
Regi
oh and Larry, one thing I wanted to say in the blog but ran out of space. If you can involve yourself in serving others, the pain will be less. Promise. No matter what’s going on, there’s always the option of becoming an intentional intercessor…someone with a long list of people he’s praying for an their specific need. Then engage with that list, praying for people you know and care about, constantly and fervently. If your health will allow you to do more ‘hands on’ ministry, then put yourself to it, no matter how hard it is. As Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friends”. Just a thought.
Regi
Thank you for this Regi! I needed it.
You’re welcome Daniel . . . just doin’ what I do. Thanks for the encouragement
Regi