Suffering

Let’s talk about suffering. A lot has been revealed to me about suffering recently and I am led to share. In the context of suffering comes the loaded question, “why would a good God let bad things happen?” The answer to this may not satisfy everyone, but suffering is an experience. Suffering is something Jesus had acquaintance with. My pain is not greater than the pain of Jesus. Your pain is not greater than the pain of Jesus. Jesus faced pain of sorts and still sacrificed. I can be in pain and still sacrifice my service, prayers, and patience for others. You can be in pain and still sacrifice your service, prayers, and patience for others. If Jesus endured, so can we. Jesus endured suffering so we can. We can because of Him. Some may argue, “but Mia, Jesus was the Son of God. He had direct contact with the father so that gave him an advantage.” Friend, you are a child of God. Jesus was a child of God. You are human, Jesus was human. Because of his sacrifice, we have direct contact with the Father. We are heirs of Christ. ‘In Romans 8:17 Paul says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”’

Let's take a look at what the Bible says about Jesus/God and suffering:

Suffering and comfort both come from God. If we are distressed we can receive God's comfort. God comforts us so we can comfort others.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (1 Corinthians 1:3-7)

2.) Jesus was a man of suffering. His life was not easy.

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.” (Isaiah 53:3)

3. We consider pain a punishment but when wounds are healed the skin is stronger.

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living;for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:4-12)

You can suffer well. Say what?

Just as each individual life has its God-ordained purpose, so does suffering have its purpose. It’s never fun, it’s never easy, but if we can endure and run the race before us, we will share in God’s glory which nothing can compare. So friends, suffer well; suffer with purpose and God will bless you. You can do it. And yes, God is the reason why. It’s not a waste, its a race.