School of Suffering

We do everything possible to avoid it. In fact, we go out of our way to steer clear of it. We run; we hide; we shun it. No one is immune from it, and one day, it will come knocking on our door. We will not welcome it in, but it will burst open the door, force its way in, unannounced, and certainly uninvited. What is this most unpleasant thing that we would rather not have anything to do with? It is our arch-enemy, our rival. And its name is Suffering.

I don’t think I know of anyone who welcomes this tyrant. When it makes its visit, we resist, we wail and scream, and we fight it with all our strength. Unfortunately, it is much stronger than we are, and we quickly succumb to its overwhelming brute force. To those around us it is quite apparent that we are not in a “happy” state of mind. Our emotions overwhelm us, and we outwardly show the world this pain we are in through various ways. Some of us cry uncontrollably, others withdraw into our own world, and still others openly complain about our situation. Only the “seasoned” sufferer takes it in stride and is able to manage his pain for he has learned the secret of how to live with it.

I’ve often wondered why we shun suffering so much. After all, Jesus himself suffered immensely for our salvation. How is it that we think we can avoid it? Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulation, but we are to take heart for He has overcome the world. I must admit that if I had not personally experienced extreme suffering myself, I would still not understand the purpose of it at all. I’ve heard it said that the school of suffering graduates rare scholars. Something happens in this “school of suffering” that transforms us in ways that nothing else can. Faith grows exponentially, we loosen our grip on the things of this world, and we seek to know God in deeper and more profound ways. We want an answer for our suffering. Why God, have you allowed this debilitating disease to ravage my body? Why God, did you allow my little boy to die? Why God, must I carry such deep wounds from being unloved by my parents? These and many more “whys” fill our minds and grieve our souls. We simply must have an answer, and suffering provokes us to find it. Ironically, we will not find the answers to our suffering through the world itself. We find and make peace with our suffering only when we turn to Jesus. Even so, often our pain lingers for what seems like an eternity. Yet God miraculously gives us a new perspective—His perspective, and it sure is better than ours. Ours seeks to reason and rationalize—His shows us an eternal glory that awaits us if we persevere. Ours wants the suffering to end—His asks us to come unto Him and He will help us through our trials.

Dr. Charles Parkhurst said that “To do and suffer God’s will is still the highest form of faith. Great faith is exhibited not so much in ability to do as to suffer.” I challenge you to think back for a moment on some of the trials you have suffered through. Were you not able to comfort or encourage someone else going through a similar experience? Those who are most effective at helping and sympathizing with others are those who have also paid the high price of affliction. He who would be a helper, must first be a sufferer. Likewise, we must never forget that to have a sympathizing God, we first had to have a suffering Savior. Jesus suffered everything imaginable from loneliness, to hunger, to persecution, to rejection, and ultimately death on a cross. Yes, Jesus can sympathize with us in our troubles and sorrows. And He alone can heal and mend a broken heart.

Next time you find yourself in the unwanted “school of suffering,” lean close to the One who loves you so much and who wants to use this pain, this trial, this discomfort, to not only refine your character, but to bring you to Himself in a new and fresh way so that you can help those who are also suffering, thereby bringing God the glory He so deserves. Jesus, our suffering Servant, endured the cross for “the joy set before Him”. Ask Him to give you the ability to endure your cross, your suffering for the joy and glory set before you. The only way to get through it and be refined by it is to take His hand, His strength, and His power. You’ll be amazed at what He can do through you, and with time you will find an incredible blessing behind all your pain.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

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 oeverjoyed whi His glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12

Not only so, be we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoiont us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. Romans 5:3-5

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Heb 2:10

“The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? John 18:11