It has been a difficult week. I have felt the pain of many people suffering. Some are suffering from the consequences of sin and rebellion against the law of the Lord. Some have suffered for following Jesus by faith. A few have suffered not one but a string of tragedies mixed with the storm of trying to cope afterward. Others have suffered the consequences of other people’s choices and there have even been some who suffering the excruciating pain of tragedies.
As Paul wrote, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” When people suffer the church body should and often does rally around the hurting, the lonely, the discouraged, the ones in bondage to sin, and the destitute by offering a shoulder to cry on, prayers of hope and faith, and words of comfort and counsel.
Sooner or later suffering comes to us all. It might come in more severe forms to some as opposed to others but all face the painful realties of torment inflicted by trials that produce suffering. When we see people around us suffering we at times do not know what to do or what to say.
I recall talking with a father who had a son tragically killed by being rolled over by a tractor when he fell off the fender while the grandfather was driving. I asked him how he was coping several weeks after the funeral and his response was not what I expected. He thanked me for asking. He said in dealing with people nobody ever wanted to talk about his son. They would intentionally avoid talking about him but this father and mother needed to keep the memories alive of their precious baby boy. Talking about him was actually therapeutic for them. I have remembered that all these years and often ask people who are suffering how they are coping. Many doors have been opened to minister in these situations.
Many wonderful people in the Kingdom of God suffered. David Brainered who was a missionary in the 1700’s battled tuberculosis and died at 29. He left behind a journal that has inspired many to endure sufferings. He stood firm in the face of cold winters coughing up blood trying to win Native Americans to faith in Christ alone by saturating his mind in the scriptures and by long seasons of prayer and meditation.
William Cowper was a hymn writer in the 1700’s who suffered from depression and attempted to kill himself on more than one occasion. He battled depression his entire life. He fought to stand firm by meditating on the scriptures and cultivating a friendship with John Newton who loved Cowper to the end writing many letters and offering countless prayers for his tormented friend.
Missionary Adoniram Judson suffered the death of wife and children in his ministry on foreign soil and almost went insane over the suffering at one point. Instead of running away from God in anger Judson kept drawing nearer to God and eventually found his spiritual and emotional equilibrium.
Personally I am reminded that I serve a Savior who suffered the cross. He endured that cross joyfully and pressed on. His example inspires me to endure even when times get tough as they eventually do.
The longer I am in ministry I no longer feel I have to have all the answers or the “right thing to say” to people who are suffering. I just want to love them, cry with them, and try to share their pain as I stand firm with them. I want to walk through their pain with them, offering nothing more than my presence and my prayers. I know God is sufficient to support them and hold them up during the times of trials and sorrows. [Job 1:1-22]
Job has always helped me. Job knows what it is like to suffer like nobody else I know. When he responds to his heart ache by worshipping and not casting blame at God, his painful and grief stricken faith response inspires me. That is where I want to be but often during much less suffering I have cratered into the pit of despair and doubt.
I pray the Lord would give us the rock solid faith of Job. I need to expect that suffering will come to my life and those I love from time to time. I need to be prepared for it and not be caught unexpected. I pray we can all soak in the scriptures long enough to work through our sufferings and we do not forsake or abandon those going through suffering but walk shoulder to shoulder with them. With the strength of Christ [Phil 4:13] and with the body of Christ around us, [I Cor 12:26] we can endure [Hebrews 12:1-3] and overcome [Rom 8:35-39] any amount and different kinds of suffering.
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