With the fall, life immediately and for generations after is tainted by suffering, sorrow, and pain. Perfection replaced by brokenness. Life tainted by sin. Suffering introduced. In such a broken world, Christians need to be equipped and encouraged to endure suffering well. We are to be equipped to worship in tears, glorify the Lord in suffering, cling to our joy in sorrow, and encourage those who are suffering.
Glorify God by reflecting on the Cross.
In the deepest, lowest of valleys, drenched in tears, remembrance of the cross drives the Christian heart to worship. Hope in the midst of pain, and joy heightened in remembrance of the price paid to purchase such hope. At the reflection of the cross is the remembrance of perfect love displayed and the weight of our sin carried. At the cross, pride and ingratitude are shattered, and thanksgiving abounds. Here, we are also reminded that, through the Lord’s wrath, His love is magnified. Hearts are humbled, knowing the most agonizing of suffering anyone can ever face here fails to scratch the surface of the suffering borne by Christ on the cross, purchasing our hope. So we endure by remembering the extent of suffering the sinless Christ voluntarily underwent in order that sinners like us might rest in eternal peace.
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him” -Matthew 27:27-31
“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” -Matthew 27:45-46
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” -Isaiah 53:4-6
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” -Romans 8:1
Millions of people will live, never having received the hope of the gospel, undergoing suffering on earth with no hope, only to die facing greater despair. In reflecting on the hope the cross has brought us, gratitude grows. Yet, knowing many are without this hope, our heart breaks, and our passion for evangelism increases. Here, hearts are inclined to pray with a deeper conviction for the eyes of the lost to be opened. Then the choice of how we respond to suffering becomes an opportunity for unbelievers to see Christ through us. The Cross will never fail to shift our focus from the temporary to the eternal.
Glorify God by remembering what suffering produces.
When present suffering is seen in the light of the eternal joy of standing face-to-face with Christ, eternal hope overshadows temporary pain. And when the trials of today are viewed by what they may produce in us and how they may draw us nearer to the Lord, hearts are renewed with joy.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4).
In the valleys of suffering, we are drawn closer to the Lord, and faith is tested and refined.
C.S Lewis, in his beautiful allegory, The Great Divorce, fictionally tells of a bus ride from Hell to Heaven, leaving his reader much to ponder upon at the turn of every page. He beautifully articulates life on earth in light of the eternal glory that awaits us by saying:
“But ye can get some likeness of it if ye say that both good and evil, when they are full grown, become retrospective. Not only this valley but all their earthly past will have been Heaven to those who are saved. Not only the twilight in that town, but all their life on earth too, will then be seen by the damned to have been Hell. That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, “No future bliss can make up for it,” not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory” (C.S Lewis, The Great Divorce).
Scripture reminds us that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Deep comfort is found in remembering the “all things”, in this verse, includes suffering. There is purpose in suffering, even when we don’t know or understand the “why.”
No gift is more precious to the Christian than God, Himself.
The joy of our hope is not joy rooted in a mere absence of suffering but joy in anticipating being with the Lord Himself forever. Our joy is never merely what the Lord can give us or save us from but in God Himself. One day we will stand face-to-face with Christ. How can reflecting on this truth not produce joy even in the hardest times? How can we be convinced that anything on earth could truly be more precious than this? And how can this truth not encourage us to strive tirelessly to further His work on earth, in deep anticipation and desire of being welcomed as the Lord’s good and faithful servant?
Scripture and prayer are perfect antidotes to the discouragement suffering brings. The more we live in the Word, the more prepared we are to respond to suffering in a way that glorifies God rather than the self. Passionately pursue knowledge of the Lord, and you will grow in deeper love for who the Lord is, shifting your focus off your circumstances and onto the one who is sovereign over your whole life. Let’s drink deeply from scripture and never be satisfied with how much we know of the Lord, striving daily to grow more in knowledge of and love for Him.
Glorify God through lament.
Maintaining a superficial facade of happiness during seasons of suffering is not merely unhelpful but actually unbiblical. We are called to approach the Lord with all that we are experiencing, casting our cares fully upon Him. Biblical lament, done with humility and transparency, glorifies God. It deeply reminds our heart and mirrors to the world who the source of our hope is. The Lord wants His people to approach Him with full transparency, without fear of expressing the most gut-wrenching, painful emotions experienced. The most beautiful evidence of this is in the Psalms. The fact that the quantity of lament Psalms outweighs all other types of Psalms, says something about the beauty of our relationship with the Lord. He does not merely tolerate our lament but welcomes it.
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
-Psalm 13
David, in this Psalm, is the farthest from afraid of expressing the extent of his suffering to the Lord. How beautifully does this Psalm portray David’s intimate, transparent relationship with the Lord? How often are we tempted to cry or lament solely to people rather than first to the source of our hope? As if anyone can handle the depths of our emotions more than the one who created us in our mother’s womb. As this Psalm draws to an end, there is something beautiful to note. David turns from lament to praise. His circumstances haven’t changed, but his focus has shifted to the source of his hope. Lament frees our hearts to praise.
Glorify God in community.
Living in a society that values superficiality over authenticity, the temptation to suffer in isolation increases. We are designed for community, but not community the way it is defined by the world. In times of suffering, surround yourself with Godly, loving community; community that mourns with you, exhorts you, prays for and with you, and encourages you. If someone around you is suffering, be the Godly community they need, and love those around you well.
One Day…
One day we will stand face-to-face before the Lord. On that day, we will cry our last tear. One day, we will be welcomed by the one who created us in our mother’s womb and laid down His life for us. One day, pain will be no more. Allow the depth of your hope to shape your response to suffering today. Praise the Lord in tears, and pray with hope.
“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).
