Gift of Suffering

I was reminded of the film Silence today, specifically how the persecution of Jesuit priests by the Japanese for the sake of the Gospel proved ineffective to stop their ministry.  The antagonists found their brutal tortures only seemed to goad the priests to further sacrifice to spread the Good News of Christianity.  In the film, the Japanese changed their approach and discovered they made inroads to hinder the ministry by making the congregants suffer.  This created a conflict within the priests who felt personally responsible for causing the pain, suffering and death of the local people.  Had those missionaries considered the teaching of scripture, it perhaps would have changed their outlook to realise believers are appointed by God to suffer and were never at the mercy of their enemies.

Hearing this, some may see this appointment to suffering as a blight upon God's goodness and righteous character.  But how can one say this when Jesus went through suffering and crucifixion for our good and will ultimately end our suffering forever?  A biblical perspective is suffering is actually a gift (our flesh would gladly avoid receiving or return if it could) as it says in Philippians 1:27-30:  "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, ³⁰ having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me."  Remaining steadfast in suffering by faith in Jesus--without  any fear of enemies--reveals faith to be genuine and powerful to save.  We can rejoice to suffer for Christ knowing it has been ordained of God for us to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake.

A key theme of the book of Philippians is exhorting Christians to rejoice in the LORD always, and this rejoicing in God was despite all the trials and suffering Paul experienced.  Further on in the letter he wrote in Philippians 3:8-11:  "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."  Paul viewed suffering the loss of all things for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ as a most worthy trade.  His genuine faith resulted in righteousness being credited to him and thus he would experience the presence of God, the power of the resurrection to life, and fellowship of Christ's sufferings.  Suffering was something Paul and all Christians can share in common with our Saviour Jesus, and this draws those who trust Jesus closer to Him day by day.

It may be easier for us to personally experience suffering for Christ than to watch others suffer.  But we are not without hope or help in this case, even if we are ourselves helpless to change the situation or end the season of suffering.  That is what God has promised to do.  Know that in our suffering God is working to accomplish good things we never dreamed possible--like love increasing and abounding towards all and establishing hearts blameless in holiness (1 Thess. 3:11:13).  If you have faith to endure suffering and loss of all things for the sake of knowing Christ, we can exercise that faith that God is good and sovereign in the lives of other believers as well.  Glory to God for His redeeming grace, for He is truly able to make all things work together for good to those who love God.