Tag Archives: Suffering

Suffering: A Bit of Perspective

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churchsign“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

There’s an illustration that I’ve used in the past that helps me visualize this. Picture a blank wall with a stripe painted across it. Imagine that stripe continuing out past the wall and across the country, crossing oceans and shooting out into space. We’ll call that strip “Infinity.” With that strip representing the whole of eternity, what size would the span of our lives be on that stripe?

The smallest dot that we could draw would be too big. Our lifespan can’t compare with the length of eternity.

So what if we were to spend that entire dot in suffering in order to get the whole line of glory? Would that be unfair? Any amount of suffering that we experience can’t compare with what is waiting for us.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Suffering: Advice from 1 Peter

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churchsignI hadn’t realized until recently that one of the main topics of the book of 1 Peter is the theme of suffering. Peter is writing to a group of Christians that are about to suffer persecution or that are currently being persecuted. He writes to encourage them. In doing so, he uses the word “suffer” over and again. Look at these verses.

1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
1:11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
2:19-21 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
2:23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”
3:17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
4:15-16 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
5:9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Notice that when Peter talks about Jesus’ sacrifice, he always calls it Jesus’ suffering. Peter understands that Jesus’ sacrifice set an example for us as to how we should face suffering in our own lives. When we come upon hard times, we can remember what Jesus went through and how he stood firm.

Suffering: An integral part of the Christian life

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churchsign“Come suffer with us!” Maybe that should be what we advertise on our church signs. It would be more honest than much of what we see out there.

The New Testament makes it clear that suffering is part of the Christian life. It may not be the part that we like to talk about, but it’s an integral part of who we are.

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33) That’s pretty clear. When Paul and Barnabas went around encouraging new Christians, they told them: “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

It’s pretty straightforward. Still, we get surprised when bad things happen to good people. We ask “Why me?” “Why them?” and “Why that?” There are dozens of passages that say that Christians will suffer. Hard times aren’t a sign of God’s disfavor. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:7) He told the Romans: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16-17)

Suffering isn’t fun. But it’s definitely part of the Christian life

The Gain is Worth the Pain

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[While we’re traveling in Argentina, I thought I’d post some of the things that I’ve written for the HopeForLife.org blog; they’ve also been posted to Heartlight. Comments are moderated until I get back; sorry about that folks. Some people don’t know how to play nice.]

I was about 9 years old. I was taking Red Cross swimming lessons at our municipal pool. The day had arrived when I was to be tested to see if I could advance from the Advanced Beginners class to the Intermediate class. Approximately fifteen of us were to take turns swimming from one side of the pool to the other and back, doing various strokes and exercises along the way. I watched as my classmates one by one tried and failed to pass the test. Then it was my turn to fail, I mean, my turn to attempt to pass the test. I got about halfway across the pool when I felt that burning sensation you feel when chlorinated water enters your nose. I immediately stopped and grabbed the side of the pool, ending my test.

One of the instructors was standing above me, a scraggly-haired college student. “Why did you stop?” he yelled, in a less-than-compassionate voice.

“I got water in my nose,” I explained.

That’s when this scruffy college student taught me one of life’s great lessons, even if he probably never realized he was doing just that. Bending down, he shouted, “So?”

So? The question took me aback. It had just seemed logical to me that the answer to pain was to eliminate the thing causing the discomfort. My 9-year-old brain had not latched onto the fact that a valuable goal is worth achieving even if we have to go through discomfort to get there. Recognizing that, I wasn’t sure what would keep me from completing the test. In fact, I did it rather easily on my next attempt. Seeing me pass the test, almost all of the others did so as well.

At times I think Jesus lovingly says “So?” to so many of the things that seem important to me. The obstacles, the hardships, the barriers that appear along the way can’t be compared to the goal that waits at the end. We have to focus on the final destination, not the bumps in the road. The apostle Paul wrote: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). God’s plan for us is not to eliminate suffering in our lives, but to teach us to look past it. When Paul and his companion Barnabas were visiting churches they had started, they told them, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). The night before the crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

If you’re not a Christian, it’s only fair that we warn you that the road won’t always be easy. But I can assure you that the goal is more than worth any difficulties we might face along the way. I’d like to tell you more about living above the hardships of life, with our eyes focused on the goal.

www.hopeforlife.org

Copyright Herald of Truth ministries

Why Me?

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When something bad happens in our lives, it’s easy to ask, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?” However, I’m thinking that it might be appropriate this week to ask the same question in some different situations:

If you are reading this in your home, you are among the truly affluent people in this world. Not in the U.S., but compared to the entire world. Very few can own their own computer and only a fraction of those have Internet access. Ask yourself: “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

If your salary is over $60 per month, you earn more than half the people in the world. Say to yourself: “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

If you made a choice about what to eat today, remember that over one third of the people in this world will go to bed hungry because there is no way for them to get enough food. Think: “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

Running water? Electricity? Indoor plumbing? Central air? Automobiles? Change of clothes? Ask again: “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

If you can walk the streets in relative safety, if you can send your children to school, if you can go to a doctor when you need to, just repeat: “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

If you own a Bible, think of the thousands in this world who speak a language in which the Bible has not yet been translated. Think of those in countries where they aren’t allowed to buy a Bible. Think of those who’ve never even seen a Bible and say, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

If you’ve had the privilege of hearing the message that Jesus died for our salvation, think about the millions and millions of people in this world that don’t even personally know a Christian. Ask: “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

This Thanksgiving week, surely that is the question that all of us need to be asking.

“Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 8:10-18)