Often we make the mistake of assuming that suffering is the result of sin and is therefore a punishment from God. Conversely, we assume that because a person has experienced little suffering or appears not to suffer presently, that that person must be living right. Ive been guilty of this type of wrong thinking. The ironic thing is that when this type of wrong thinking prevails, we as humans sit as judge and jury and pass a guilty verdict while God has made no such decree. If we read the Bible we see quite a different story. Consider Joseph,. Consider Job. God himself was proud of Job, but allowed the devil to test him. Consider Jesus, our Lord and Savior who was rejected and crucified. Consider the mistreatment these three men suffered. Consider the words of advice and admonishment of their family, friends and the religious establishment of their day. Now would be a good time to exam this long held religious belief that suffering is a punishment for sin which results in spiritual weakness and distance from God. Consider these Scriptures: Romans 5:3 We rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. Hebrews 12:11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who have been trained in this way. 2 Corinthians 1:8 We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. There are so many Scriptures just like these that teach the true meaning and purpose of suffering. They answer the why and what for. The why of suffering is to develop something inside of us that can not be developed any other way. The what for is endurance, strength, good character, reliance upon a God and a future hope. So when we are tempted to get down about our struggles, remember Joseph, remember Job, remember Jesus. Remember their friends who judged, forgot about them, rejected and gossiped about them. Dont be those guys. Lets clean up our spiritual thinking and remember that suffering leads to better.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:22:27 +0000
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