To suffer or not to suffer...

Suffering is a natural by-product of life upon the earth diseased with sin.  Everyone will experience suffering to some extent:  hunger, sickness, disease, loss, separation, disappointment, sorrow, abuse, pain, death, including the emotional suffering from being misunderstood, backstabbed, ignored, neglected, molested, bullied, hated, attacked, mocked, or ridiculed.  People do not dream of suffering someday like others dream of winning the lottery:  "It might just be me..."  Suffering and life go together.  But life is not all suffering, of course.  There are great joys, pleasures, friends, adventures, loves, successes, triumphs, blessings, sports, hobbies, and family.  Every good and perfect gift comes from God, who gives to all without partiality.

People typically do not invite suffering upon themselves, but try to avoid it at all costs.  What makes a Christian different from typical people is when he commits his life to Jesus Christ, he agrees to suffer for the sake of Christ.  He has invited suffering into his life.  What the world doesn't understand, however, is that suffering draws us close to God as we identify with Christ.  As we walk down the path He leads us, there will be suffering.  The fruit of suffering is a deep, satisfying, intimate, amazingly beautiful relationship with God.  When we talk of a life of faith in Christ, we would be remiss to ignore suffering and focus on the peace, joy, forgiveness, and fulfillment that comes from God.  All these wonderful, desirable qualities can be found in the midst of suffering when we look to Jesus.

The world recoils at the thought of suffering, too foolish understand that they suffer alone.  People without Christ suffer now for their sin and will reap the eternal consequences after death in hell.  They suffer without the promises of God, the sure hope of salvation, forgiveness, and rot in their grief, shame, guilt, and condemnation.  They suffer intolerably alone.  But how precious is suffering for a child of God through faith in Christ, not that he wishes to suffer,  but suffering is a means that God will use to grow a man's faith and cause Him to cry out to the one who can hear and save and is willing to do so.  A Christian is no fool for suffering, for suffering is common to men.  Should a man suffer for his folly, he is to be blamed:  but if a man suffer for doing right, he is to be commended.  If a man should suffer for his righteous Savior, he will be commended by God and receive a hundredfold in this life and in eternal life to come.

Do you know that suffering is a requirement to follow Jesus?  In my devotions this morning, I read this passage in 2 Thes. 1:4-5 which says, "...so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, [5] which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer..."  God is righteous to allow us to suffer persecutions and tribulations that we may be counted worthy of God's kingdom.  Peter understood suffering well when he wrote in 1 Peter 5:10: "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."  Jesus is clear that suffering for His sake is not optional for a believer.  It is our heritage and through it ripens countless blessings.  Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  The world is not worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ.  Only His redeemed are worthy.  After Peter and John were beaten for preaching on behalf of Christ, this response is recorded in Acts 5:41:  "So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."

How is it that so many miss the necessity of suffering for Christ in their Evangelism 101 courses?  I thought Jesus made suffering compulsory for His followers in Luke 9:23 when He said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."  Taking up the cross is a lot of hard work.  It's dirty business denying yourself and carrying the means of your own execution.  If we seek to save our lives we will lose it.  Yet if we lose our lives for Christ's sake, we will find it!  I love Peter's succinct words in 1 Peter 4:12-13:  "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; [13] but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."  It is through suffering for Christ that we find cause for great rejoicing!  If we partake of Christ's sufferings, then we will also partake in the power of His resurrection, ascension, and glorification!

Because of my current situation of being separated from my wife and kids, the text in Mark 10:28-30 has increased significance for me right now:  "Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." [29] So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, [30] who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life."  You do not need to go to a foreign place to suffer for Jesus.  You do not need to physically be separated from friends and family.  When you obey the leading of Jesus Christ, you will end up suffering because it is contrary to what the world would do.  Jesus was persecuted and hated first, and if you stand for what He stands for, the suffering will come.  The storms of persecution will come, but Jesus will always be with you to calm those storms with His Word and divine presence.

But before we think it is ever wise to glory in our suffering, let us read Romans 8:16-18:  "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17] and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  Our suffering is nothing to be compared with the glory that God will reveal in us.  At the end we will say, "What suffering?"  No suffering can compare to the knowledge of God and His glorious presence.  That is something we can enjoy right now according the grace, mercy, and power of the Holy Spirit.  Praise God for His remarkable gifts!  If we suffer for Christ, we are never intended to be the focus.  He who glories, let him glory in the LORD!