Introduction
Why me? Why now? What is God doing? Suffering is a
tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in
our lives. It is designed to build our trust in the
Almighty, but suffering requires the right response if it is to be successful
in
accomplishing God’s purposes. Suffering forces us to
turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources.
Suffering is not in itself virtuous, nor is it a
sign of holiness. It is also not a means of gaining points with God, or of
subduing the
flesh (as in asceticism). When it is possible,
suffering is to be avoided. Christ avoided suffering unless it meant acting in
disobedience to the Father’s will.
“In the
day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider—God has made
the one as well as the
other so
that man may not discover anything that will be after him” (Eccl. 7:14)
The
following questions are designed to help us “consider” in the day of adversity:
(1) How am I responding to it?
(2) How should I respond to it?
(3) Am I learning from it?
(4) Does my response demonstrate faith, love for God
and for others, Christ-like character, values, commitment, priorities,
etc.?
(5) How can God use it in my life?
Suffering Defined
What are these bends in the road that God puts in
the path of life that we are to carefully consider? Simply stated, suffering is
anything which hurts or irritates. In the design of
God, it is also something to make us think. It is a tool God uses to get our
attention and to accomplish His purposes in our
lives in a way that would never occur without the trial or irritation.
Illustrations of Suffering
“It may be cancer or a sore throat. It may be the
illness or loss of someone close to you. It may be a personal failure or
disappointment in your job or school work. It may be
a rumor that is circulating in your office or your church, damaging your
reputation, bringing you grief and anxiety.”1 It can
be anything that ranges from something as small and irritating as the bite of a
mosquito to facing a lion in the lions’ den as did
Daniel (Dan. 6).
General Causes of Suffering
(1) We suffer because we live in a fallen world
where sin reigns in the hearts of men.
(2) We suffer because of our own foolishness. We
reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-9).
(3) We sometimes suffer because it is God’s
discipline. “For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges
every son He receives” (Heb. 12:6).
(4) We may suffer persecution because of our
faith—especially when we take a stand on biblical issues, i.e., suffering for
righteousness sake (2 Tim. 3:12).
Of course, all of these do not apply at the same
time. All suffering is not, for instance, a product of our own foolishness,
self-induced misery, or sin. It is true, however,
that rarely does suffering not reveal areas of need, areas of weakness, and
wrong attitudes that need to be removed like dross
in the gold-refining process (cf. 1 Pet. 1:6-7).
In this
you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have
been distressed by various
trials,
that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is
perishable, even though tested by fire,
may be
found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ; (1 Peter 1:6-7)
The Nature of Suffering
(1) Suffering is Painful. Suffering is hard; it is
never easy. Regardless of what we know and how hard we apply the
principles, it is going to hurt (cf. 1 Pet.
1:6—“distressed” = lupeo, “to cause pain, sorrow, grief”).
(2) Suffering is Perplexing. Suffering is somewhat
mysterious. We may know some of the theological reasons for suffering
from Scripture, yet when it strikes, there is still
a certain mystery. Why now? What is God doing? Suffering is designed to build
our trust in the Almighty.
(3) Suffering is Purposeful. Suffering is not
without meaning in spite of its mystery. It has as its chief purpose the
formation of
Christ-like character (Rom. 8:28-29).
And we
know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are
called
according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to
become conformed to the
image of
His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; (Romans 8:28-29)
(4) Suffering Proves (tests) Us. “Trials” in James
1:2 is the Greek peirasmos and refers to that which examines, tests, and
proves the character or integrity of something.
“Testing” in this same verse is dokimion which has a similar idea. It refers to
a
test designed to prove or approve. Suffering is that
which proves one’s character and integrity along with both the object and
quality of one’s faith. Compare 1 Peter 1:6-7 where
the same Greek words are used along with the verb dokimazo which
means, “put to the test,” “prove by testing as with
gold.”
(5) Suffering is a Process. As a process, it takes
time. The results God seeks to accomplish with the trials of life require time
and thus also, endurance.
Romans
5:3-4 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that
tribulation brings about
perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character,
hope;
James
1:3-4 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let
endurance have its perfect
result,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
(6) Suffering is a Purifier. No matter the reason,
even if it is not God’s discipline for blatant carnality, it is a purifier for
none
of us will ever be perfect in this life.
Philippians 3:12-14 12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have
already become perfect, but I press on in
order
that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I do not regard
myself
as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind
and reaching forward to what
lies
ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
(7) Suffering Provides Opportunity. Suffering
provides opportunity for God’s glory, our transformation, testimony, and
ministry, etc. (See reasons for suffering given
below.)
(8) Suffering Requires Our Cooperation. Suffering
requires the right response if it is to be successful in accomplishing
God’s purposes. “We all want the product, character;
but we don’t want the process, suffering.”2 Because of our make up as
human beings, we can’t have one without the other.
(9) Suffering is Predetermined or Appointed.
1 Peter
1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if
necessary, you have been distressed
by
various trials,
1 Peter
4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes
upon you for your testing,
as
though some strange thing were happening to you;
(10) Suffering is Inevitable. The question we must
each face is not, ‘if’ we are going to have trials in life, but how will we
respond to them?
1
Thessalonians 3:3 so that no man may be disturbed by these afflictions; for you
yourselves know that we have
been
destined for this.
1 Peter
4:19 Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust
their souls to a faithful
Creator
in doing what is right.
(11) Suffering is a Struggle. It’s going to be a
battle all the way. That’s why they are called “trials” and “testings.” Even
when we understand the purposes and principles of
suffering, and we know the promises of God’s love and concern given in
the Word of God for handling suffering, dealing with
the trials of life is never easy because suffering hurts. Trials simply give us
the capacity to cooperate with the process (Jam.
1:4). They allow the process to work and allow us to experience inner peace
and joy in the midst of the trials.
In order to handle suffering with inner joy and
tranquillity, we must be able to look ahead to God’s purposes and reasons for
suffering. This requires faith in the eternal
verities of God.
Compare the blessings of affliction as seen in the
testimony of the Psalmist in Ps. 119:
Before
affliction
Straying and ignoring
(vs. 67a)
During and
in affliction
Learning and turning (vs. 71, cf. vs. 59)
When under
affliction we need
to:
(1) Determine Causes if we can (Is it
because of something I have
done?)
(2) Determine Objectives (What is God
wanting to do in my life or
in others?)
(3) Determine Solutions (How does God want
me to handle this?)
After
affliction
(1) Knowing and changing (vss. 67b,
97-102)
(2) Resting and valuing (vss. 65, 72)
We must understand God’s chief purpose for our lives
is to be conformed to the image of Christ and He has determined in His
plan to use suffering for our spiritual development.
If we are going to endure suffering and the trials of life, however, we must
also understand and believe in the other purposes
and reasons for suffering as they are related to the chief purpose.
Purposes and Reasons for Suffering
(1) We suffer as a testimony, as a witness (2 Tim
2:8-10; 2 Cor. 4:12-13; 1 Pet. 3:13-17). When believers handle
suffering joyfully and with stability, it becomes a
marvelous testimony to the power and life of Christ that we claim and name.
Suffering provides key opportunities to manifest and
magnify the power of God through His servants in order to verify and
confirm the messenger and his message. It provides
opportunities to reveal our credentials as ambassadors of Christ (1 Kings.
17:17-24; John 11:1-45). This includes the following
areas:
a. To
glorify God before the angelic world (Job 1-2; 1 Pet. 4:16).
b. To
manifest the power of God to others (2 Cor. 12:9, 10; John 9:3).
c. To
manifest the character of Christ in the midst of suffering as a testimony to
win others to Christ (2 Cor. 4:8-12; 1
Pet.
3:14-17).
(2) We suffer to develop our capacity and sympathy
in comforting others (2 Cor. 1:3-5).
(3) We suffer to keep down pride (2 Cor. 12:7). The
Apostle Paul saw his thorn in the flesh as an instrument allowed by
God to help him maintain a spirit of humility and
dependence on the Lord because of the special revelations he had seen as one
who had been caught up to the third heaven.
(4) We suffer because it is a training tool. God
lovingly and faithfully uses suffering to develop personal righteousness,
maturity, and our walk with Him (Heb. 12:5f; 1 Pet.
1:6; Jam. 1:2-4). In this sense, suffering is designed:
a. As
discipline for sin to bring us back to fellowship through genuine confession
(Ps. 32:3-5; 119:67).
b. As a
pruning tool to remove dead wood from our lives (weaknesses, sins of ignorance,
immature attitudes and
values,
etc.) The desired goal is increased fruitfulness (John 15:1-7). Trials may
become mirrors of reproof to reveal
hidden
areas of sin and weakness (Ps. 16:7; 119:67, 71).
c. As a
tool for growth designed to cause us to rely on the Lord and His Word. Trials
test our faith and cause us to
use the
promises and principles of the Word (Ps. 119:71, 92; 1 Pet. 1:6; Jam. 1:2-4;
Ps. 4:1 [The Hebrew of this
passage
can mean, “You have enlarged, made me grow wide by my distress”]). Suffering or
trials teach us the truth of
Psalm
62:1-8, the truth of learning to “wait on the Lord only.”
d. As a
means of learning what obedience really means. It becomes a test of our loyalty
(Heb. 5:8). Illustration: If
a father
tells his son to do something he likes to do (i.e., eat a bowl of ice cream)
and he does it, the child has obeyed,
but he
hasn’t really learned anything about obedience. If his dad, however, asks him
to mow the lawn, that becomes a
test and
teaches something about the meaning of obedience. The point is, obedience often
costs us something and is
hard. It
can require sacrifice, courage, discipline, and faith in the belief that God is
good and has our best interests at
heart
regardless of how things might appear to us. Regardless of the reason God
allows suffering into our lives, rarely
does it
not reveal areas of need, weaknesses, wrong attitudes, etc., as it did in Job.
Suffering itself is not the thing that produces faith or maturity. It is
only a tool that God uses to bring us to Himself so we
will
respond to Him and His Word. It forces us to turn from trust in our own
resources to living by faith in God’s
resources. It causes us to put first things first. Ultimately, it is the
Word and the Spirit of God that produces faith and
mature
Christlike character (Ps. 119:67, 71).
James
1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7: The key word is “the proof of our faith.” “Proof” is the
word dokimion which looks at both
the
concept of testing which purifies, and the results, the proof that is left
after the test. The Lord uses trials to test our
faith in
the sense of purifying it, to bring it to the surface, so we are forced to put
our faith to work.
(5) We suffer to bring about continued dependence on
the grace and power of God. Suffering is designed to cause us to
walk by God’s ability, power, and provision rather
than by our own (2 Cor. 11:24-32; 12:7-10; Eph. 6:10f; Ex. 17:8f). It
causes us to turn from our resources to His
resources.
(6) We suffer to manifest the life and character of
Christ (The Fruit of the Spirit) (2 Cor. 4:8-11; Phil. 1:19f). This is
similar to point (4) above with more emphasis on the
process and defining the objective, the production of the character of
Christ. This has both a negative and a positive
aspect:
a.
Negative: Suffering helps to remove impurities from our lives such as
indifference, self-trust, false motives,
self-centeredness, wrong values and priorities, and human defense and
escape mechanisms by which we seek to handle
our
problems (man-made solutions). Suffering in itself does not remove the
impurities, but is a tool God uses to cause us
to
exercise faith in the provisions of God’s grace. It is God’s grace in Christ
(our new identity in Christ, the Word and
the Holy
Spirit) that changes us. This negative aspect is accomplished in two ways: (1)
When out of fellowship with
the
Lord: Suffering becomes discipline from our heavenly Father (Heb. 5:5-11; 1
Cor. 11:28-32; 5:1-5). This involves
known
sin, rebellion and indifference to God. (2) When in fellowship: Suffering
becomes the loving and skillful handy
work of
the Vine Dresser to make us more productive. It involves unknown sin, areas we
may not be aware of, but
that are
nevertheless hindering our growth and fruitfulness. In this case, suffering
often constitutes mirrors of reproof
(John
15:1-7).
b.
Positive: when believers live under suffering joyfully (i.e., they endure and
keep on applying the promises and
principles of the faith), Christ’s life or character will be more and
more manifested as they grow through the suffering (2
Cor.
4:9-10; 3:18). This means trust, peace, joy, stability, biblical values,
faithfulness, and obedience in contrast to sinful
mental
attitudes, blaming, running, complaining, and reactions against God and people.
(7) We suffer to manifest the evil nature of evil
men and the righteousness of the justice of God when it falls in
judgment (1 Thess. 2:14-16). Suffering at the hands
of people (persecution, violent treatments) is used of God to “fill up the
measure of their sins.” It shows the evil character
of those who persecute others and the justice of God’s judgment when it
falls.
(8) We suffer to broaden our ministries (cf. Philippians
1:12-14 with 4:5-9). In the process of producing Christian
character and enhancing our testimony to others,
suffering often opens up doors for ministry we could never have imagined.
Paul’s imprisonment (chained daily to Roman soldiers
in his own house) resulted in the spread of the gospel within the elite
imperial praetorian guard. The Apostle was
undoubtedly continuing to rejoice in the Lord, but if he had been complaining,
sulking, and bitter, his witness would have been
zero.