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“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”
Psalm 119:71
You don’t hear Joel Osteen quoting this verse very often, do you? And I’m not here to beat up on Osteen, but to contradict a heresy running rampant among Christians who are being led astray by teaching contrary to God’s Word.
There is something we don’t get about suffering; suffering exists because of sin. But because God is sovereign, nothing happens to His people but that He is allowing it and using it for His purposes in our lives. (See Job.)
It is not our mission in life to escape suffering, but to submit to what God does through it. Of course our flesh wants to escape, but we are no longer slaves to the flesh, but rather should desire to yield to the spirit of God in us.
“…we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3,4
And God forbid we use suffering as a determining factor for obedience. (“Lord, the thing you’ve called me to is too hard!” Remember Jesus’ words? “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.”)
I think of comments I hear about pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood–sometimes my own feelings. It is so easy and seemingly logical for us to reason that we should intervene in the process of life to prevent possible hardship. “But if it’s hard, shouldn’t we duck?”
It is not our job to try to orchestrate the events of our lives that are God’s in order to escape hypothetical or even probable hardship.
I don’t DO things on purpose to cause myself hardship, but doing (making an unaffordable purchase) and preventing (stopping the supernatural, biological process of life) are two different things.
(No intention of starting that particular debate–the principle is applied to all areas of life, but a point I wanted to make.)
I think of suffering like defects people are born with. As a culture, we literally think it our responsibility to do away with such imperfections. The Bible says “it is good for me”.
We need to view afflictions for what they are. When afflictions come about as a supernatural occurrence–not a logical consequence to something stupid we do–we can rest and even glory in that suffering!
Suffering produces the character of Christ. And while it may not be what we prefer, our loving God cares more about our spiritual growth than our temporary comforts.
Listen to what He told the children of Israel…
“And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2
Sometimes, it’s just a simple matter of His desire to hear, “Lord, I will still love you…I will still obey you.”
What is your wilderness? More importantly, what is it wringing out of your heart? A shaking fist, or the cry…“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”?
Look past your present suffering. Thank God for the crucible that will melt away the dross.
“Refine me Lord, so I may be more like You.”
17 comments
Great post! I emailed a link to this to a couple of friends who are struggling…. thank you!
Thanks for the post. Just today I was asking myself if my hubby and I made a mistake in being open to a large family. We have suffered greatly in recent years, enduring homelessness, lack, and chronic health issues. If we had a smaller family, things would have been easier for us. But who knows? Perhaps in God’s wisdom, he determined that we needed a particular type or amount of suffering in order to grow in faith, and if we had a smaller family, he may have used other forms of suffering to refine us. Thanks for the encouragement.
A south-born gal
Thanks Kelly!
I needed that. 😀
Great post! Just what I needed today.
Ok I love your post on words left un-said.
After the year we have had I’m learning that words need to be said…..
Thanks for the reminder,
Rob
If Joel Osteen quoted that verse, NO ONE would want to throw money at him. LOL!
But your thoughts about suffering are right on.
J in Peru
Wonderful post. Last night my daughter and I watched Jeremiah from the Bible series. Jeremiah tells the King the that God wants him to surrender to the Babylonians and accept God’s will/punishment – slavery – that is the only way God will save him. Yet the king still refuses to accept God’s will and humble himself. It seems to me, we as humans do that quite a bit. Instead of humbling ourselves and accepting God’s will and his hardships and sufferings, we try everything in our power to run away from them. God has recently showed me that instead of complaining about my hardships and sufferings and how unfair, hard or impossible for me to do it, I need to cling to him. I believe that God uses our sufferings and hardships to not only purify us so we our more like his son, but also to continually draw us closer to him. Much Love, Elizabeth
Thank you so much for this post. It was a comfort to me as I go along the way with chronic health conditions that I am learning to live with and finding a path to make them a blessing rather than a curse.
One thing I always wish I could gently point out to friends and family is that there are definitely those moments of suffering where the last thing the person needs is to be clobbered over the head with accusations and hard questions and comments meant to be helpful but which just feel like heavy weights and recrimination.
A couple of years ago some friends turned on me when I was in the midst of a rather serious health crisis and said it just couldn’t be as bad as I possibly made it out to be, and I was urged to find the silver lining in it. The problem was for all their talking, not one of those few came along side me with practical help. The point they were not getting was that I was so ill I could not take care of my family. I could not do the necessary things. Of course I wanted to get better, to not suffer that much, to be able to take care of my family. I had just come through 5 years of repeated miscarriages, grief upon grief and now had a physical collapse. I began being unable to get up most days for pain and debilitating fatigue. Medical doctors knew I was suffering, but no cause was able to be pinned to it. I needed someone to just say they knew it was bad, but to say they believed IN ME. I needed someone to cook a dinner for us and help me vacuum my carpets. I needed comfort and practical helps. Instead I had a lot of Job’s friends saying “What did you do to deserve this?” And the other portion saying that it surely wasn’t as bad as I was letting on. It was devastating.
A few friends held me up, saying they would just pray for me to get better. Some did research to give me ideas to take to the doctor. A couple looked up doctors who might be able to help me. But no one came to help me do laundry or clean house. No one made a meal for us. No one provided hands on practical help that would have made my ability to cope with the effects of illness move along to emotional acceptance. My children had to step into MY roles at early ages and take up the slack. The problem was I had not been well enough to teach them how to do these things and it fell on them to learn on their own for the most part. I grieved me that I was not able to be their teacher in these things. The silver lining in that was that I see these are some very smart and capable young people! They figured out the harder things and learned a work ethic combined with compassion and hands on caring.
Now I look back at that time and realize that in the midst of the sorrow and the suffering and the feeling of being beaten down by the world, God was polishing me to give me the blessing of compassion for others who would someday need that particular friend or family member who would just LISTEN and understand the parts of moving forward to the emotional healing that one needs when the physical body just will not have healing. Through my suffering I learned to NOT be a Job’s type of friend and I am now so thankful for that time of trial.
Shortly after an abrupt upheaval where I was put out from a group of friends because of my emotional and physical issues, I finally had a diagnosis for part of the health problems. One aspect remains undiagnosed but at least acknowledged medically. I have to live with a health mystery. Many, many people have that lot in life and it is not easy. But I have learned through the hard times how to give things of my own heart that I never could have given without the challenges I walked through.
Getting a diagnosis was a comfort and a validation, but I still have challenges and always will this side of heaven. All of that suffering was a gift because now I have something to give someone else in their time of need. I am so thankful for the chance to serve someone else in their hardest times.
The difficult and hard times grew a soft heart and compassion in me for others who suffer. THAT was the healing God meant for me to have. That is a beautiful thing. I would not take back any of the grief or loss or suffering because now I am thankful for it. When I was walking in it during those early days, it didn’t seem a blessing at all.
Thanks for reading this. Thank you for your post about suffering. Most don’t want to touch on it at all in these times, but suffering could be anyone’s lot in life at any time. And so many suffer without the loving support of those who do not want to look in the face of it and be someone to make a difference. Sometimes we can’t change it, but surely we can make anyone’s suffering easier to bear.
Warmly,
Kimberline
How do I put the Ruby Rebel picture on my blog?
Kimberline–
Thanks for that warm story revealing God’s sovereignty through the trials…we need to be reminded constantly. I pray God would give you more and more grace in your trials.
Civilla,
Copy and paste the code; then on your layout tab “add a gadget” (do you use blogger?) choose to add html. Then past the code into that and the button should show up. Let me know if it doesn’t.
Ha-Ha! I followed your instructions and the Ruby Rebel thing worked! I’m really impressed with myself. Yes, I use Blogger. Thanks.
You’re basically saying that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Interesting since those were the words of Friedrich Nietzsche – who called himself the “Anti-Christ.”
Well said! God will allow us to go through the difficult times so that we might be a blessing to others that might be facing similar trials…God Bless!
Great post, Mrs. Crawford!
In regards to the Fredrick Nietzsche comment, even a broken clock’s right twice a day. 🙂
Well said, Jasmine!
I had to laugh when I saw Jasmine’s comment about a broken clock being right twice a day. That is one of my FAVORITE sayings. (I’ve been known to write it or say it in regards to Dr. Phil several times, but to get to use it on a Nietzsche quote would be especially delicious.)
I’m just amazed though that a woman so young still would know that saying and bring it out so aptly. Well said Jasmine! 🙂