by Mrs. Rita D'Souza
“More than that we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5).
Suffering is a part of life. It often seems as if we get through one problem only to face another. A Christian is not exempt from suffering, whatever form it takes – persecution, rejection, hurt, pain, sorrow, loss, failure, hardships, trials and other painful experiences.
Jesus himself said “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). According to (2 Timothy 3:12) “Indeed all who want to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
We will never be able to understand God’s purpose for allowing suffering in our lives or be able to rejoice in our suffering if we have a faulty understanding of suffering.
Faulty Understanding: All suffering in my life is because of some personal sin I have committed or because of lack of faith or due to God’s anger. With this kind of view, we would constantly be asking the question “Why me god” or consider our lives a spiritual failure each time we go through suffering. If this view were to be correct, then all the apostles would stand condemned because they went through hardships, suffering and persecution (Read 1 Corinthians 4:11-12).
This wrong understanding could also have developed due to teaching which talks of only blessings or only prosperity without the cross. It is true that Jesus came to give us life and life in abundance (John 10:10) but he also said “Deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
1. A Christian is called to Suffering: (Read 1 Peter 2:18-21) From this passage it is clear that a Christian may have to undergo suffering unjustly ie: for what he does not deserve and when he/she does so in the right spirit, he has God’s approval. A servant is not greater than his master (John 15:20). If Jesus suffered than we too, His disciples will undergo suffering.
2. In fact (1 Peter 4:12) tells us not to be surprised at the fiery ordeal or testing times we have to go through as is something strange were happening to us.
3. However, there may be times when one suffers because one is paying the consequence of a sin, a wrong decision or disobedience to God (1 Peter 4:14-16). For eg: a person who abuses his body with alcohol may suffer the consequence in his health. This suffering is not from God. Yet God is merciful and if the person truly repents and turns back to God, the Lord can still use that suffering and bring something good out of it. (Romans 8:28).
Purpose of Suffering: The enemy seeks to use our trials to achieve just the opposite of what the Lord wants. He seeks to crush our faith and create a distance in our relationship with the Lord. This causes us to feel abandoned, rejected by God and drives us further away from Him. Understanding God’s purpose in suffering helps us to rejoice in our suffering.
1. God intends suffering to be a blessing to us and to draw us into intimacy with him. It is in the darkest times of our lives that the Lord is closest to us. The saints knew this secret and “loved suffering” not for the suffering itself but what the suffering brought. They found joy not in the suffering but what they saw beyond the suffering.
Hebrews 12:2 = “Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” It is in the times of suffering that we experience the tender love and comfort of the Lord and will this be able to comfort others (Read 2 Corinthians 1:3).
2. God uses our suffering for our spiritual growth. Suffering cause to grow in maturity, to grow in faith and become more Christ-like if we let God have his way in our suffering. Our trials are tailor made to break us to rid us of all self, to drive us to dependence on God alone and transform us into the image of his Son.
Romans 5:3 says that suffering produces endurance. The ability to patiently bear up with a positive attitude as one who overcomes. Endurance produces character. The Greek word Dokime used for character is used of character is used of metal which has passed through fire. Just as gold is purified in fire, the Lord uses our trials to purify us till he sees the reflection of His son in us. God is interested in our character more than our comfort and he may make our lives uncomfortable just a s the mother eagle removes the soft lining of the nest to teach us to fly (Deuteronomy 32:11).
Our Faith is tested and grows in suffering. (1 Peter 1:6-7 and James 1:2-3). As one author said – “You will never know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.”
3. God uses suffering to prepare us for ministry or his plan for our lives. The Lord can only use vessels broken of self and tested in fire. “I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)
Maintaining a Right Attitude in Suffering
• Draw nigh to God and he will draw near to you (Hebrews ). Seek the Lord & his comfort in times of trial rather than run away from Him. Worship him in the trial and let Him have his way in your life. Pray not – my will but yours be done.
• Rejoice and give thanks. It is a response of faith which looks beyond the suffering to the blessing it brings. Pray – thank you Lord that you are going to draw me closer to you and you are going to bring something good out of it. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Jas 1:2; Romans 5:3)
• Wait on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31). Don’t give up but cling on to the Lord till the “destroying storms pass by.” Surrender the timing aspect to the Lord knowing that in His perfect time he will bring you through.
Romans 5:3-5 = Suffering produces endurance – character – hope and hope does not disappoint us because the love of god has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
A person who goes through suffering is transformed, becomes more Christ-like learns to face every situation with a hope and this hope is not baseless or in vain because underlying everything is the fact that Jesus loves us and that nothing can separate us from his love. Amen.