A Perspective on Suffering

The subject of suffering has presented the Believer with more questions than answers. Suffering transcends the triune nature of man. Our spirit, soul, and body are susceptible to the painful sensations and impressions that inflict our lives. Is there a purpose to our sufferings? Why do we suffer? Is suffering a normal aspect of our life? We know that when we deviate from God's will, we are susceptible to wrong decisions and the consequential results. This type of suffering is negative and harmful. It is a debilitating experience that can lead to despair and discouragement. Satan will use this type of suffering to question God's love. "If God really loves you, why does He let you suffer?" "Why doesn't He answer your prayers?" Satan also loves to take situations in peoples lives and transfer the causes and results to God's initiative. There are also friends, and even family members, that will question our spiritual walk. It comes down to the principle of reaping what you sowed. There is a merit to that charge, but it does not fit all the degrees of suffering.

To give us an understanding of suffering, from a spiritual perspective, one needs to look at the last twenty four hours of Jesus' earthly life. From the Garden of Gethsemane, to His abuses at the hands of the Temple soldiers, and finally His crucifixion, Jesus would suffer to the very limits of human tolerance. Before reaching the Garden, He began to display heaviness. He would share with Peter, James, and John that He was "exceeding sorrowful unto death." (Mark 14:33, 34) There in the Garden, Jesus petitioned God with strong crying and tears. (Hebrews 5:7) His suffering was so intense that droplets of blood surfaced on His face and dropped to the ground. (Luke 22:44) Throughout this titanic struggle, it was heard by the angels and God Himself that He feared God (reverenced His sovereignty.) (Hebrews 5:7b) When Jesus cried out that it was not His will that needed to be done, but God's, He was learning obedience through His suffering. (Hebrews 5:8) Obedience is the doorway to spiritual growth and fulfillment. The Faith walk is not an easy journey. Through our ordered steps, we will meet challenges that will try our faith to the very limits of tolerance. There will be persecutions, both physically and mentally. But it is through these sufferings that we will learn obedience. One of the things that helped Jesus confront His sufferings was what He saw on the other side of the Cross. Jesus knew that when His work was done, He would sit down at the right hand of God. Dying to His human desires, He resolved to complete the task that God had sent Him to earth to do.

We need to look at suffering as a means of defining our faith. Through suffering we will learn obedience. Through suffering we will learn what prioritizing means. Through suffering we will understand it is not our will that matters, but God's will. Through suffering we will truly understand God's sovereignty. Through suffering we will learn the true meaning of fearing God.

So many Believers fail to understand the purpose of suffering. When we read the epistles of Paul, we are immediately aware of how he learned through suffering. Let us identify the difference between suffering due to our mistakes and suffering as learning obedience. I wonder how many of us have really suffered to the point of reaching beyond our own desires and learning what obedience is all about? Sadly, many Believers have been taught a gospel that takes little or no real commitment. Some of the greatest truths have been discovered through suffering. Instead of demonizing suffering, let us discover what we can learn through suffering. Paul was able to travel the road to Heaven, with the reality that it was no longer his life, but Christ that lived in him. (Galatians 2: 20)



 By Paul W Hoffmaster


Article Source: A Perspective on Suffering