It’s a common theme in Christian music and Christian conversation. Life is tough. Things aren’t going how we want them to. We’re suffering and we don’t want to. Where is God?
Of course, the answer to that question varies. We might give up and say He’s not around, He doesn’t care, He’s not willing to answer. Or we might comfort one another: “Hang in there. He’ll get you through.” And a broad range of options in between.
The Bible is not silent on the subject. he Bible teaches that suffering exists because sin entered the world (Rom 8:22) and will, one day, be ended. Jesus specifically taught that suffering is not always the product of individual sin (John 9:1-3; Luke 13:1-5), though it is ultimately connected to the presence of sin in the fallen world.
And we know that He’s always there (Psa 23:4; Psa 46:1).
But at this point the Bible deviates from our normal “I’m not going to make it” or “I’ll hang on dearly until He rescues me” positions. James says to “Count it all joy” when we suffer (James 1:2-4). Paul says we can “rejoice in our sufferings” (Rom 5:3-5). Peter says our suffering identifies us with Christ (1 Peter 4:13; 2:21). Paul says in the worst of our suffering we are “more than conquerors” (Rom 8:35-37). God uses everything, including suffering, to shape us into His image (Rom 8:28-29).
Suddenly, both “I’m not going to make it” and “I’ll just hang on as long as I can” prove inadequate responses. The response Scripture is seeking is thanksgiving (1 Thess 5:18) and joy (James 1:2). We are supposed to be shouting our victories in the midst of our trials, knowing He’s winning—knowing He’s doing good things in us.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). That sounds like neither “I’m falling” nor “I’m barely holding on.” It sounds like abundant life. Abundant life does not mean a life free from suffering. It means a life filled with God's purpose, presence, and transforming work even in suffering. Maybe we’re missing out when we spend so much time worrying about our suffering rather than watching eagerly for what God is doing at that moment—and every moment.
4 comments:
It is said that 10 good deeds are destroyed by one bad. But that just goes to show our failed perspective. I even heard a pretty decent explanation of happiness from a heathen, "happiness is expectation minus reality." We can only rejoice in suffering when our expectations are in alignment with God's goodness. Once we grasp the reality of God's goodness as our primary expectations will never be undermined.
I know that “God’s purpose in my pain” is partly to create depth of character and Christlikeness in me during my earthly lifetime. You mentioned John 10:10, a verse that gives me great encouragement in this area. As you point out, Jesus is offering His followers not only life but abundant life. From the context of that verse within John 10:1-18 and its “I Am the Good Shepherd” message (which I can appreciate greatly, having just re-read A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23), I note that Jesus is promising not just basic care and protection to His sheep but much more--an abundant spiritual life rich with purpose and fellowship. Since the Lord has promised to work all things together for good for His children, it is reasonable, then, to expect a connection between my suffering and the abundant life He has in mind for me. I realize that only He can reconcile such a counterintuitive scenario, so I will let God be God and rest in that comforting sheep-Good Shepherd relationship.
“[H]appiness is expectation minus reality.” That is actually quite sad, I think. I am sure that life without God’s redemptive hand at work must be as truly hopeless and full of despair as that sounds--definitely not the abundant life that Christ’s followers are promised! What a sad tradeoff for those who keep God at a distance.
It’s no secret that before commenting at Winging It, I regularly consult books that I own and/or have read to glean an insight or two that would connect the topic of the daily post with my own thoughts in response. As it happens, I built up my home library in large part during the early-to-middle stages of my Christian journey (i.e. from 1976 through ~2015); therefore, most of my books are either old and/or were read quite long ago (if I got around to reading them at all yet).
This morning, I saw the post title and thought, “how fortuitous,” as just yesterday I began reading Hope for a Despairing World: The Christian Answer to the Problem of Evil by Anglican scholar and author Philip E. Hughes. After reading the post, I also pulled down The Blessings of Brokenness: Why God Allow Us to Go Through Hard Times by Charles Stanley. Unfortunately, I don’t have either of these books (which relate perfectly, I am sure) read in time to integrate into a comment at this post. (I did read When Life Is Hard and Always True: God’s 5 Promises When Life Is Hard--both by James MacDonald, but I don’t quote him anymore.)
All this is to share that I really wish I could keep up (or ahead) of your post topics! Obviously, with daily posts, there is not enough advance notice to do so (how I wish I were a speed-reader!); therefore, I might return to old posts to comment, once I have the related book completed. I do better with a weekly class or book club meeting, where advanced reading is assigned, but still, I am grateful for a new entry at Winging It each morning--at least when you have internet! ;) As David commented on Wednesday, it is a blessing--and not one I take for granted.
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