YOUR CUP OF SUFFERING

Suffering is a mystery to many people. When things go wrong in our lives, we cry out, “Why me?”  Is suffering someone else’s fault? Is it punishment for my sin? Is the devil attacking me? The accuser is always standing by to pile guilt on us for what we or someone else might have done or claiming his right to power over us.

There are no answers to this question outside of God’s Word.

Firstly, we must clear our minds of the lies the enemy uses to make us feel helpless and afraid in times of distress.

1. God will never punish you again for the sin He has already laid on Jesus.

2. Jesus has promised to be with you always. He is in you through the presence of the Holy Spirit. He will never leave or forsake you.

3. God works in all things for your good. He is Lord in all your circumstances, not the devil.

4. Satan may desire to attack but he can only do what God permits. He is only able to do to us what we fear or what we believe he will do.

CATEGORIES OF SUFFERING

1. Common to all on a fallen planet

Adam’s sin brought alienation from God and death upon the whole human race. We are all part of the consequences of Adam’s sin.

Some people think that they became exempt from trouble when they believed in Jesus, but this idea is contrary to the Bible. We live on a planet corrupted by sin and we only leave sin and its consequences behind when we die.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

2. Consequences of our own sin

Not only do people sin against us, but we sin against ourselves and others. However, our sin is firstly against God because, by sinning against another we have disobeyed God’s instructions to love one another. All sin is disobedience, and we are, therefore, guilty of sin against Him.

“Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.”

Psalms 51:4 NLT

We participate personally in Adam’s sin when we actively engage in anything that falls short of God’s glory. Our sin has consequences.

“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.”

1 Peter 4:15 NIV

3. Called to suffer for our faith in Christ.

Jesus warned that our union with Him will inevitably call down the wrath of unbelievers on us because they hate God and all who belong to Him. The whole world is divided into two camps, those who are for and those who are against God. There is no neutral ground, and those who are God’s enemies hate God’s children.

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is working against me.

Matthew 12:30 NLT

“Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

2 Timothy 3:12 NLT

“But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

1 Peter 2:20-21 NIV

PURPOSE

1. To grow and strengthen our faith

Any kind of suffering will either make us bitter or better. We are called to trust God in all our circumstances, not to get out of them but to be purified from the doubt and unbelief that insult God and question His faithfulness to His Word.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV

2. To develop perseverance, character, and hope

God uses all our trials to build strength of character, endurance, and perseverance. Only those who become more resilient under testing will make it to the end.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:2-4 NIV

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 5:3-4 NIV

3. To have done with sin

When all is going well with us, it is easy to become complacent and indulgent towards our sinful old nature. Suffering makes us aware of the cost of sin in our lives.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”

1 Peter 4:1-2 NIV

4. To share in God’s holiness

God is preparing us for an eternity in His presence where no sin is tolerated. Jesus has made us holy through His suffering. We are to work out this holiness in our attitudes and behaviour by the way we refuse to tolerate sin in our lives and choose to live the way Jesus taught us, by His grace.

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?… They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:7, 10-11 NIV

5. To share in Christ’s inheritance

We are called to suffer with Jesus as well as to suffer for Him. We must have the same attitude He had. He never complained or resisted the suffering He was called to endure.

“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps… He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”

1 Peter 2:21, 23 NLT

“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.”

Romans 8:17 NIV

6. To correct our perspective

If we remember that God is preparing us for an eternity with Him, our suffering will take on an eternal perspective that will keep us focused on our destination, not on the present.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV

7. To conform us to the likeness of Jesus

Suffering is never needless or coincidental. God is always at work in everything to restore the image of His Son in us. Suffering is not about our outward circumstances but about our attitudes and responses, and results in inward transformation.

God’s purpose is to teach us submission and obedience to Him as true sons, motivated by our love and trust in Him.

“… For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Romans 8:29, NLT

8. To keep us humble and dependant on the Lord

Suffering exposes our weaknesses and drives us towards God’s grace.

“… So, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

2 Corinthians 12:7

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT

9. To remind us of our mortality

We must never fall into the trap of believing that we are here forever. We are pilgrims passing through, and what we are learning and becoming now is preparing us for our destiny in God’s eternal kingdom.

“Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.”

1 Peter 2:11 NLT

10. To expose our hearts

Bill Johnson, of Bethel Church fame, once said, “Jesus loved to offend the mind to expose the heart”. How true this is in the issue of suffering!

This is another very important reason for suffering, to test our commitment to trusting God. We say we trust Him when all is well but what happens when things go terribly wrong? Job experienced this test big time!

When hardships and suffering come our way, our attitude towards God is brought to the surface. Even our question, “Why?” reveals an unconscious note of resistance or even rebellion which reveal a subtle suspicion or mistrust of God’s love.

Jeremiah’s question exposed his attitude of mistrust of God in his suffering.

“Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”

Jeremiah 15:18  

God’s response was, “If you take back those words, Jeremiah, then you will still serve me… Change your attitude, Jeremiah because, if you don’t, I am finished with you.”

“This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!”

Jeremiah 15:19

This is how seriously God views our mistrust in Him when things go wrong.

ATTITUDE

1. Suffer in a way that pleases God

In what way must we suffer that pleases God?

The Bible clearly states that it is faith in God that pleases Him. When we continue to trust Him in the most difficult and painful of circumstances, He responds to our prayers, and provides all the grace and strength we need to endure.

“So, if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”

1 Peter 4:19 NLT

2. Have the same attitude as Jesus had

Jesus had the attitude of a true son, always submissive and obedient to the Father.

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Mark 14:36 NLT

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”

1 Peter 2:21, 23 NLT

3. Trust God for His grace in your suffering

“… So, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT

4. Keep your eyes on the goal

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT

Suffering will have a new meaning when we take the long look, remembering that we are only travelling through, not permanent residents of this imperfect world. We are being prepared for a glorious future where there will be no more pain or suffering.

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:3-4 NLT

Years ago, as a young believer, I read a book by Paul Billheimer entitled “Don’t Waste Your Sorrows”. I have long since forgotten the content of the book, but the title is enough good advice to remind us of the meaning and purpose of our sorrows as we navigate life on this fallen planet.

So I say to you, as you contemplate God’s answer to the problem of your suffering, “Don’t waste your sorrows” Falling in line with God’s Word has eternal benefit by embracing, not fighting what comes your way.

“So, we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT