Suffering Through

The "Unexpected Journey"

It’s been almost a month since I’ve posted anything regarding "The Unexpected Journey."      The reason is that I have been suffering and I don’t suffer well.     The effects of the chemotherapy lay me low for days at a time. I’m not in physical pain but certainly there is extreme fatigue where I get exhausted just walking from my bedroom to the kitchen.      Then there is the chemo fog that leaves me unable to focus for any length of time and makes it almost impossible to accomplish anything.     For a guy who lives life pedal to the medal this creates a lot of mental and emotional suffering on my part.     Not to be productive, not to be able to engage life creates a lot of anxiety, anger and tears.     Now the truth is that unless God heals me there are coming days when there will be pain and I will be bed ridden and suffer death.    As I said, I don’t suffer well.      Yet, suffering is part of the human condition.

There are those who would say that good Christians should not have to suffer and that God does not desire for us to suffer.       In the sense that God doesn’t want any to perish I suppose that is true but the fact is that unless a person repents and comes to faith in Christ they will perish.      In the same sense God’s desire for His creation did not include suffering but the moment sin entered the picture suffering became very real not only for the human race but for all of creation.

The subject of suffering is perhaps the most difficult subject for Christian apologists to deal with.    After all, if God is all loving and compassionate, why would He allow suffering?     How can He be a God of love and allow suffering?     And if God is all powerful (Omnipotent) why doesn’t He just eradicate suffering?     The argument then says He is either not loving and compassionate or He is not powerful enough to eliminate suffering and therefore is not God at all.     I think such questioning minimizes the magnitude of both the problem of God and of suffering.     I’m not going to answer all those questions here because I want to talk about suffering as it relates to "The Unexpected Journey" which carries a strong practical and personal element.

Why not us?

A close friend of mine told me of a crushing experience in his family.     A family member faced cancer and perhaps death.     My friend has for almost 40 years been a tireless worker for God.      Leaving the hospital, struggling to make sense of it all, He cried out to God a prayer that I myself have prayed.     "Lord, I don’t get it. Why us? I’ve served you faithfully. Why us? Why now?"     Gently his wife turned to him and said, "Why not us?" The fact is that suffering is no respecter of persons.  

Jesus told us that in this world we should expect suffering. "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).    Christians are not exempt from suffering.     In fact we will suffer even more because of our faith.

Fours Sources of Suffering

There are at least four sources of suffering.

1. We Live In A Fallen World

The world is not as God created it.      Its hard to overstate the impact of the fall (Genesis 3).     Everything that God had created good has been corrupted.     Sin once unleashed has devastating effects.     Suffering is just part and parcel of living in a fallen world.    The rain, and suffering, fall on the just and the unjust.

The world in which we live groans under the weight and consequence of sin.      Paul said, For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now (Romans 8:22).     Death, disease and suffering are part of that groaning. It’s part of living in this fallen world and it impacts all of us.      Most times suffering is just the result of living in this fallen world.

2. Suffering Can Be The Result Of Satanic Attack

I don’t want to see a demon behind every tree but the fact is that sometimes suffering is the result of Satan’s attack on us.     The most obvious example from the Bible is Job.     For whatever reason God allowed Satan to afflict Job with suffering.      I’m not sure how it works but I do believe that there are times when we invade Satan’s territory that he strikes back and afflicts us. 

 

One of my partners in ministry with whom I have worked closely with for almost 35 years suggested that perhaps because of our work in Cuba where we are taking the gospel to areas once dominated by witchcraft, that this cancer is a result of Satanic attack.       I can’t say I understand why God allows that to happen but we do have this example from Job.

 

3. The Remedial Punishment of God

Now I know that as soon as I relate punishment and the believer some will protest and say that Christ has taken our punishment at the cross.     That is true as far as eternal punishment is concerned.     However, remedial punishment or judgment refers to God’s corrective measures in the life of a believer.    You might prefer to call it discipline.   

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. (1 Corinthians 11:29-30)

 There are times when God’s children walk in disobedience long enough that He may allow them to suffer in order to turn them back to Him.      It some cases it appears that there may come a point where God simply calls His disobedient children home prematurely. 

 

4. Persecution

I think that most often when the New Testament speaks of suffering it is in the context of persecution for the sake of Christ.       For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (Philippians1:29).     Remember Jesus said we were blessed when people persecuted us for His name sake

 

The problem is that we most often don’t know the source of our suffering.     When I was first diagnosed I made a careful examination of my life to see if there was some sin, some rebellion, for which God needed to discipline me.      I asked the Elders of my church to examine my life and to tell me if there was something they saw that I should deal with.     One of my dearest friends, as I’ve already mentioned, suggested perhaps my disease was the result of a Satanic attack.

 

 I believe my disease is simply the result of living under the curse of sin in the world.     Bad things happen to good people.     Christians aren’t exempt from the sufferings of this present world.      I often wonder how non-believers deal with such horrific blows and circumstances.

Don’t Be Surprised

Peter told us not to be surprised when we encounter trials.    Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12-13).     Now I believe that he’s talking specifically about the trials of persecution but the principle is the same.     Why should we be surprised when we encounter trails and suffering.     Why should I be surprised? 

 

James even suggested that we should count it joy when we encounter trials and suffering because God is at work through it to bring about maturity. 

 

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)

I don’t think he means we are to say "Oh wow,  I sure love this trial and suffering that I’m going through."     Rather I think that he means for us to rejoice because we know that every trial, every experience of suffering, God is going to use to bring us to maturity in Christ and isn’t that what we all want.      I have often said that God is more concerned about our character than our comfort and we are more concerned about our comfort than our character.     Regardless, He uses the Unexpected Journeys in life to conform us to the image of Christ and to bring about our good and His glory.

 

I cannot tell you that this journey we are on is an easy one.     It is the hardest journey my family and I have ever travelled and we recognize that our suffering and our trails pale in comparison to some others.      Yet this is our journey and it hurts.    This is the path that has been chosen for us and we are determined to keep our eyes on Christ who has been our foundation all these years.

 

I don’t think anyone can say that suffering is joyful.    I sure can’t.    I hate it.     I can say however that I take great joy in the fact that the Christ who loved me from the beginning and who has been my constant companion will not leave me in the midst of this journey.     I need to be honest though, sometimes I feel like He has.    There are some days when He seems a million miles away.      It is in those times I must remind myself of the truth that He will not leave me nor forsake me and that one day He will make sense of this suffering.     It is in those times that faith must overcome my emotions and I must believe that God does indeed work out all things for good even though I don’t see it at the moment.
 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
 

I am not a super saint.     I have feet of clay.     This past week has been particularly difficult as I’ve been laid low by the effects of the chemotherapy.     There have been many tears, even wailing.     I have had to deal with anger and just where do I place this anger.     I am not angry at God.      I trust Him implicitly.     Yet I hate sin and I hate its impact on me, those around me and on my world.      I’m angry about the emotional suffering that I have to face. I’m angry that I can’t do the work of God that I want to do.     I’m angry that I can’t be doing the ministry we do in Cuba.     I don’t like this.     Yet, I know that God is at work to bring about His perfect will, so in that sense I, like James, can count it joy that even in this God is bringing me and those around me to maturity in Christ. It’s not easy but its true.

But For A Season
 

Suffering though is but for a season and the suffering of this present world is nothing to be compared with what God has in store for us beyond this life.     The hope we have in Christ is that one day we will be at home in heaven with Christ.     Through this "Unexpected Journey" I am constantly reminded that I am a victor regardless of what happens.   

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth

comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. . (Romans 8:18)
 

Suffering sucks.    It hurts.    It’s unbearable at times.    It is something God never intended for His creation.    But as followers of Christ we know by faith that God is with us and no amount of suffering will separate us from God’s unfailing love for us and some day we shall arrive safely home where there will be no more suffering.    This we hold to by faith.    We will not be moved by the present circumstances.
 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,

or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger,

or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed

all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him

who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor

angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able

to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

                                                                                                      (Romans 8:35-39)