Monday, August 01, 2005

The Goodness in Suffering

Quite awhile ago I was diagnosed with a muscle disorder that has changed my lifestyle and my reliance on God. I do not say this for sympathy, but until this came about in my life I was not in tuned to how much God works through our personal sufferings and struggles.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 are great verses which lay out some of the biblical reasons for suffering.

Vs 4: “who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” When we go through troubles it prepares and enables us to help others through their struggles. God is the God of all comfort; he provides all that we need to get through any storm. Rest in Him and Look to Him!

Vs. 5: “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” All consolation comes through Christ’s suffering for us. Thorough his pain
he understands our pain. The power he had to deal with his suffering, ridicule, rejection is totally available to us through our relationship with Him.

Vs. 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.” Oh the benefits we enjoy because we suffer. First we can find God and a deeper relationship with him. We also learn how to endure and it develops in us a greater level of patience. We do not learn these things unless we are put into situations that teach us to be patient and to look to Him instead of ourselves.

Vs. 9: “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. Are you ready to fully rely on God, who has the power to bring people back from the dead? We surely can not do that, so why not rely on Him. Once I realized that I could only face my struggles and pain to Him I was able to focus on what to do, how to respond and how to rest in Him.

Vs. 10-11: “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
Through sufferings we learn the value of prayer, see the answer to prayers and can then give glorious thanks to God for what He has done. Answers do not always have the result we want, but they always have the result God wants for us and that is so much better. I know that God may always choose to give me my physical pain and limitations; however I have learned that God is using it for new service and ministry to others in chronic pain or even temporary pain.

It does not matter how or what you suffer – God will comfort and sustain you and you can grow through the experience if you choose to rely on Him.

LDJ

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