Tuesday, June 25, 2024
You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.. I Peter 1:6-9 CSB
Suffer Well
Everybody faces trials. They are a fact of life, and they also come in many shapes and sizes. Over our lifetime we will face many different kinds of trials, and a lot of us feel like we have experienced a lot of them in the last year. Although some things are getting back to normal, there’s an underlying buildup of one thing after another. We may begin to peel off the layers, but it will be a while before it is all processed, and in the meantime, we continue to pile more and more on top. It can be overwhelming, and we may even begin to find unhealthy and sinful activities to numb ourselves to what feels like unbearable circumstances. Unfortunately we can ruin our own lives, and even the lives of others, with poor decisions when we don’t suffer well.
God did not say we would have perfect, happy, easy lives. He does not call us to coast through this life. He actually calls us to struggle sometimes. And sometimes he calls us to struggle for a long time. When we are uncomfortable, we want to fix it as fast as possible, and we sometimes expect him to. But there are times that God calls us to sit in the uncomfortable struggles for whatever reason. It may be because he wants to mold us, or it may be because he put us there for another person.
Katherine Wolf recently released a new book titled “suffer well” it sounds like a contradiction in terms, but God does call us to suffer well. We don’t want to suffer well – we don’t want to suffer at all. We can mistakenly believe that we deserve a better life than the one we have. Disappointment with the way things have actually turned out versus what we wanted or envisioned for our lives can lead to anger, bitterness, discontent and resentment. The further we go down that path the longer God will keep us right where we are. How can we suffer well?
Often, we ask the wrong question: How can I avoid trials? The truth is that we can’t avoid trials. Trials are inevitable as Jesus told His disciples; I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. John 16:33 CSB So the question we should be asking is: How can I change the way I respond to hard times? Can I begin to respond in such a way that I am not overcome by emotions of dread? Here are a couple of things to remember to help when going through trials:
Reflect on the Purpose of Trials and Suffering - Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 CSB God uses the worst times of life to make the best for our lives. We have all seen it - a life torn apart by divorce, trauma and tragedy, or any number of things - becomes the birth of a whole new life for someone. A life they never thought they would see because of what they were experiencing. God often has to do some demolition work in our hearts and lives before He can build what He planned for us all along. He has to get out all the moldy, old, ruined parts we have built so He can make it something beautiful and new. He will. He never wastes anything. And the end result? Endurance and a mature, complete faith in him.
Seek God’s Wisdom During Trials and Suffering - Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. James 1:5 CSB When the unexpected trials of life how do you respond? What is your first reaction? How are we to pray –– what should we ask God for? James gives the answer, Pray for WISDOM! Wisdom is more than knowledge. Someone has said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. Wisdom is using knowledge rightly.
If you are in a long season of struggling in difficult circumstances, think about the answers to these questions:
What is God teaching you during this time?
How is he already using you in your current difficult circumstances?
How has he blessed you? Blessings and suffering can co-exist so look for those blessings instead of only seeing the struggle and pain.
Are you suffering well?
Jesus did tell us that we will have trials but take heart – he has overcome the world. We can suffer well because we know he has already been where we are and conquered. He is already victorious. That victory is ours in him. This is how we can suffer well.
