In the last post, we reviewed 10 potential reasons why we don’t talk about suffering. Conversations can be downright hard, and our human instinct guides us to avoid what’s difficult. But difficulty doesn’t mean we should shy away from it. Without God’s truths, we are prone to view suffering from a worldly lens. If we do not proactively shape our theology on suffering, then the world, suffering, others, and our own flesh responses will shape it for us. Let’s delve into 5 reasons we should talk about suffering.
Five Reasons to Talk about Suffering:
1. As sojourners, we must root ourselves in God’s truths about suffering. God should be our source of truth through His word, the Bible and the counsel of His Holy Spirit. Romans 12:2 (CSB) instructs us, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing perfect will of God.”
2. It happens to everyone. Genesis 3 recounts the entrance of sin and the serpent coaxing Eve: “‘In fact, God knows that when you eat [the fruit] your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil'” (v. 5). With Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin and suffering entered the world. Since then, counter of God’s original design, suffering was a consequence of sin. This world is fallen and broken, and we aren’t immune to suffering. We will experience suffering. We need to prepare to endure suffering, that we may “may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4).
3. Above all, our aim is to glorify God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us that the chief end of man(kind) is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Although challenging, we can glorify Him as we suffer. In all honesty, I didn’t learn this overnight. Knowing how God sees us, we can view ourselves before Him rightly. Like Job, we still have reason to cry out “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:23). We can sing like the psalmists, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 118:29). We can learn to walk in Christlikeness, as exemplified by Jesus, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death–even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). If Jesus’s suffering on the cross brought ultimate glory to God, ours can likewise glorify God.
4. To see suffering biblically, we must explore how God intends to use our suffering. Or in short, what’s the reason behind our suffering? This is a complicated matter. First, we must understand that the Lord’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). There have been and will be many indiscernible happenings during our time on this earth. Even in the mysteries of this life, God clearly reveals how He uses suffering in our lives. He uses it for refining (Psalm 66:10), for disciplining (Hebrews 12:7), for our good (Romans 8:28), for comforting others who suffer (1 Corinthians 1:4) and for drawing us to Himself (Hebrews 4:16). We must remember that God’s intent, while He does not cause it, is to see us become more holy. He desires that we become like Jesus, our savior, who, by necessity, suffered and entered into glory (Luke 24:26).
5. We have eternal hope in our suffering. Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) says that “Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”. Jesus suffered and now reigns in heaven. Because of Him, we “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself” and “not grow weary or fainthearted” (12:3). We fix our eyes on Him, who is steadfast, unchanging, and everlasting, as our one true hope. When our confidence remains in the Lord, we can boldly rejoice in our assured salvation. We will not see decay as Psalm 16:10 reminds us. If we understand this crucial, life-changing truth, then we can press forward by faith with hope that, while sojourners here, our Savior in our heavenly home awaits us.
For some, these ideas may sound radical or impossible. For others, these ideas may resonate well. Wherever the Lord may have you–well-seasoned in suffering, wanting to learn more, beginning a season of suffering, seeing or walking along others going through suffering, or anywhere in between, I excitedly invite us to dig into what God desires for us, His children, in and through suffering. Thus, we must start first by talking about it. We must talk about suffering to develop a biblical view that strengthens our faith, deepens our faith, and glorifies the Lord in a broken world needing the true hope, Christ.
Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 ESV
If you missed it, check out the first part of this two-part post, “Talk About Suffering? 10 Reasons Why We Don’t” about what keeps people from discussing suffering.