The Disciple's Primary Response to Suffering

When going through suffering, whether that suffering is due to outside influence or our own doing, we tend to become distracted.  We focus more on the suffering and pain we are experiencing rather than the lesson we are to learn through the experience.

Those of us who are parents can understand this type of distraction when it comes to disciplining our children.  When a punishment is enforced it is usually the pain and suffering experienced that receives most of the focus from the child.  In the moment, the child is distracted by the punishment instead of focusing on the desired lesson being taught through the discipline.  And for many it is only after the pain and suffering is over that the lesson can be seen.

The same can be said about the disciple of Christ and the suffering experienced in this world.  If we find ourselves in the midst of a trial or suffering, our focus tends to be on ending the pain experienced instead of learning the lesson intended behind the pain.  You see, suffering, whether large or small, will happen in our lives.  Sometimes that suffering is caused by the hand of God while other times suffering is caused by sin in the world and our own hearts. 

God speaks on this subject in James 5:13-15.  It is a passage which speaks of suffering and pain, healing and joy.  But the true reason for God’s words to us in this passage moves beyond the suffering and the joy.

Join us on Sunday morning as we study and discover what God has to say about how the disciple of Jesus Christ is to respond to suffering.  May the Spirit prepare us to hear His Word.

Patience in Suffering

The definition and understanding of suffering will differ greatly from person to person.  One individual will see suffering as physical ailments while another will understand suffering as financial difficulties.  Still others will understand suffering as anything in life that does not go as planned or expected.  Even within the church we hear suffering from the perspective of “my cross to bear.” 

What is suffering?  What does the Word of God have to say about the suffering of the disciple of Jesus Christ?  What is the purpose of suffering?  How should the disciple of Jesus Christ respond to and view suffering?  What does patience in the midst of suffering look like?

We must be warned, though.  This topic is very relevant to our everyday life, but it is also a topic of which we are very wary.  Why?  We may not like the answer God gives us.  For example, someone once asked C.S. Lewis, “Why do the righteous suffer?”  “Why not,” he replied.  “They’re the only ones who can take it.”  That is not quite the answer we expect or want while in the midst of suffering.  But the question naturally arises, how do the righteous, the disciple of Christ “take it”?

As we gather together this week may the Spirit move within our hearts and clarify in our minds the truth of God and His gospel.  And may He prepare us to listen and follow His words on suffering and patience.

Perseverence in Suffering

I once heard it said that suffering will either pull you closer to Christ or push you further away.  Tabletalk addresses this in today's reading.

Persevering faith is the type of faith required for salvation.  It is easy to have a fleeting and false trust in the Lord when things are going well for us.  Authentic faith, however, endures even in the most difficult circumstances of life, moving us to trust God even when we are at our wits' end (Matt. 13:18-23; Heb. 11).

Our time here on earth will be filled with trials, tribulation, and suffering.  This is true whether you belong to Christ or not.  But those who truly belong to Christ are able to endure sufferings because of the "faith required for [their] salvation."  The reason for this persevering faith is that we who belong to Christ have hope in the words of our Savior:

Matthew 25:31-40 (ESV) ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Our Divine Vocation

Luke 2:34a-35 (ESV) “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

This past Saturday I officiated over a funeral for a 69 year old man who had been battling cancer for the past two years.  In the end he had lost over 80 pounds, could barely walk, and was so sensitive to light and sound that no one could talk to him and all the lights had to be turned off.  For the two years he took chemotherapy and radiation his body slowly began to deteriorate and suffering became a daily occurrence.

The question begs to be asked: Why would God allow such suffering?  This man was no stranger to God.  He had been a believer most of his life, raised his children in a godly way, and was a great example of faithfulness to Him even unto the end.  Why would God allow his own children to suffer in such a terrible way?

Tabletalk from Ligonier Ministries addresses this issue.  Why do the people of God suffer?  As a child of God, suffering may be my divine vocation.  Here is what Tabletalk has to say about this issue.

Scripture is clear that suffering is one of the many vocations - calls - that the Lord gives to His people.  This may be hard for us to receive, but there are many examples in the Bible of people who were called to periods of pain and difficulty.  God allowed Job, for instance, to experience all manner of trouble. . . When Job asked, "Why?" God answers by emphasizing His sovereignty and , consequently, Job's need to trust Him.  Much of our suffering falls into this category - we do not know exactly why the Lord lets it happen, but we must nonetheless trust His goodness.

Christ was the ultimate example of suffering.  What he endured on the cross is unimaginable and more suffering than any one person will experience in a lifetime.  In Luke 2:22-35, Simeon tells Mary of the suffering her baby will endure.  But that suffering will also have an affect on Mary.  This suffering was the vocation of Jesus and Mary.  It was their divine call to endure such tragedy for the sake of God's glory and great name.

Why did my friend have to suffer so much in the end?  It is truly a mystery.  But to the end he continued to praise the name of God and trust in his ways.  Like my friend, we must trust in the goodness of God.  We may never understand the meaning of suffering and tragedy, but we can understand that God is sovereign over all things.  He is in control and in the end his good name will be lifted high.

How Do You Deal With the Loss of a Child?

Our beautiful daughter Kahra born February 2009

It was on July 28, 2005 that my wife and I had a miscarriage at around eleven weeks along and we lost our first child.  To this day the emotions are fresh and the feelings of a life lost are still raw.  The wound has healed, but the scar is deep and still very sensitive.

To this day my wife and I struggle to explain exactly why God would take something so precious to us without knowing a face or personality.  Having a child was a great desire for us both.  Perhaps we weren't ready.  Maybe we both needed to grow up a little before the pressure of a baby in our life changed everything.  Perhaps there is no explanation that can satisfy the pain of our experience.

But we do know that God is God and we are not.  Whatever he has planned for our lives we, as his children, must submit to and glorify him.  Through that difficult time we slowly healed and opportunities arose for us to care for and cry with others who had lost a child.  We understood the pain.  We understood the confusion.  We understood the loneliness that so many parents go through when they lose a child.  We understood the completely unbiblical things people would say to make us feel better.  (i.e. - "Your baby must have been deformed and God knew you couldn't handle it." or "God needed him with him." as if God needs anything from us.) 

We are better people because of the loss of our child.   God is more glorified with our lives now than before our loss.  In the end, to Him be the glory.

If you encounter those who have lost a young child or older child it may be difficult to know how to react.  Lisa Blanco has written a great article on Gospel Coalition's blog here on the loss of their son who was born six week premature.  If you are in a ministry of any sort (full-time or volunteer) please read her article.  It will proved great insight into how God works through such terrible circumstances and our reaction to those circumstances and God as His children.

Is the Narrow Way Really That Hard?

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)
¹³"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Rightfully, this verse has been used to speak about our salvation in Jesus Christ.  The road to destruction (Hell) is wide and easy, but in the end all on that road will suffer for eternity.  On the contrary the road to life (Heaven) is narrow and hard, but in the end all on that road will life in the presence of their creator forever.  I cannot and will not disagree with these statements because they are true.  But many times I have overlooked a simple word in verse fourteen that not only speaks about salvation, but the life of the one saved.

The life of a Christian is not an easy one.  It is filled with persecution in many different forms and comes with a changed life from one of the flesh to one of the Spirit.  But why do many believers (including myself at times) get upset when life throws us hard times?  Sickness comes, jobs are lost, family members pass away, money is short, and we seemed surprised.  It's as if we expect life to never have problems because we know the Creator God.

But in reality, the narrow way is hard.  There is a reason that very few find it.  It's so darn hard. 

The life of one individual was particularly difficult.  He was rejected by his friends and family.  He was continually badgered and harassed by those who despised him.  He was accused of a crime that he did not commit.  And in the end he was even rejected by God.  If the life of our Savior Jesus Christ was hard why should we expect anything different.  If the word rejects God it will reject His children.  But in the end life is awaiting us on this narrow road.

Amen.

Suffering for Jesus (Sort Of)

1 Peter 4:12-13 (ESV)
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

I remember receiving a phone call from my dad a number of months ago. He was on the west coast (I believe in Oregon) standing in front of the Pacific Ocean. He was there for some type of Regional Minister's Conference. When I asked him what he was doing right at that moment he said, "I'm breathing in the ocean air and walking on the beach." My response was very sarcastic. "So, you're suffering for Jesus, eh?"

We in America have no idea was suffering for Christ is all about. Or maybe a different way of stating it is that the suffering for Christ that Peter is talking about in 1 Peter 4 is not something we can relate to. All over the world people are dying because of their faithfulness to the call of Christ in their life. But the most we suffer, outwardly at least, is to be told "no" when we invite others to a Bible study.

I say outwardly because I feel that the persecution that we normally suffer here in America is inwardly (Is that even a word?). For example, as men we walk into a grocery store and we walk past the lingerie section. Our mind wanders and we begin to lust in our hearts. Or we struggle with any type of sin and the fight is not usually between on individual and another, but between one individual and their own inner thoughts and desires. Yes, those around us may be affected by our sinfulness (especially close family members and friends), but most of the suffering comes from the inner turmoil that occurs in our heart and mind.

We have no idea what it means to suffer for Christ, at least outwardly. Maybe that's the problem with us in America. We've become too relaxed and see our faith as an inward struggle between us, our desires, and the desires of Christ. When in actuality we should also be suffering for Christ outwardly. When was the last time I asked a "God Question" to someone outside of the Church? It's been a while. And I'm ashamed of that.