Suffering is a word that we do not like in modern day American mainline and independent churches. Suffering brings to mind the plight of the poor in Africa and the third world. Suffering brings to mind wasting away from terrible diseases. Suffering brings to the forefront intense emotions and questions about ultimate reality and the reasons for suffering. The church in modern America has not helped in the way it deals with suffering. From evangelical to fundamentalist to pentacostal to Baptist, we do not like hearing the word "suffering." The problem is that the Bible talks quite a bit on the subject, and not in the way that modern churches in America have taught it. Pastor Matt Chandler, of The Village Church in Dallas Texas, said in a recent interview for Justin Taylor's blog for The Gospel Coalition (http://tiny.cc/ybrgm), "There was no real understanding of what was going on in suffering. The theology most people had been taught was erroneous. They felt lost and confused." The overall context for this comment is that Matt Chandler is a pastor in Texas who last year was diagnosed with anaplastic oligodendroglioma, which is a malignant brain tumor. A year later by God's grace he is still alive, the tumor seems to be in remission, and he seems to be in recovery, but he is still undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. During this time he has been prayed for by many ministers from multiple denominations for healing but so far none has been forthcoming. God for whatever reason which are his own, did not heal him of the tumor. During the process, and even years before the process Matt taught regularly on the topic of suffering because he saw that teaching on the subject has been incorrect and indeed antithetical to what scripture actually teaches on the subject. Reading the above mentioned blog brought to the forefront of my mind things I have been thinking about for years on the subject and how what I was taught did not match up with what scripture taught and what actually plays out in our daily lives in this regard.
This is a major topic and it is impossible in a blog to summarize the mountains of books and commentaries and teaching on this subject. The main point, the one the church needs to be biblical about, then is this: we will suffer in this life. God does not promise to take suffering away, Jesus did not suffer so we would not have to suffer in this life, and scripture makes no claim to a worry free, stress free, or suffering free life for the followers of Jesus. Anyone who teaches otherwise is either selling something, is ignorant, or is both. That is a hard statement, but it is one I'm willing to stand behind. Now if you're reading this your initial reaction might be to say "Well this minster said, or that author wrote God wants us to live in victory because we are champions that are to be always up in a down world, untouched by the ills and pains of this life" or "Hey suffering might come but stay positive God will deliver you out of it." There is a problem with this though and the problem is Jesus and the apostles. Jesus did not live above the pains and suffering of this life. His friend and cousin was beheaded, his family thought he was crazy, religious leaders sought to kill him, a mob tried to throw him off of a cliff, and he was beaten, tortured and crucified. We have two false images of Jesus. The first is that he sort of sailed through life as if he were floating on a cloud, and that he didn't experience pain or hunger. The other false image of Jesus is that he endured all suffering so we would not have to. Jesus was a flesh and bone human being, just as human as he was divine. He sweated, breathed, went to the bathroom, was hungry, tired, sleepy, and at times grieved. Jesus suffered so we would not have to suffer eternally in hell, he suffered so we could be reconciled to God, he suffered so that we could be justified and righteous in the sight of God, not so we could live a suffering free lifestyle of ease. The beauty of what Jesus did is that we have a God that bleeds and suffers with us. We have a God that loved us so much that he entered into our world and bled with us, suffered with us, and died like us. If we believe in his name we will rise like he did and when this happens then every tear will be wiped away and every pain will be healed. Not now then but soon.
Do not misunderstand me I am not saying that God does not heal. I am not saying that God does not care or that God will not intervene and that somehow our suffering does not affect him. God is good, just, loving, compassionate, abounding in mercy, and rich in grace. He cares deeply for us and as a result of that through Christ he suffers with us. The apostle Paul was mightily used of God. The apostle Peter was mightily used of God. Both died as martyrs. Peter was crucified upside down, and Paul was most likely beheaded. Peter was miraculously freed from prison but he was not delivered from being whipped. Paul escaped a city by being lowered in a basket but he was stoned, whipped, shipwrecked, hungry, in pain, and attacked by a messenger of Satan. Paul suffered greatly. The thing is though Paul had an incredible attitude towards it. He called his suffering light, temporary afflictions. Why? Because he saw that all of his suffering, all of his work, was eternal and was working out an eternal reward not only in him but for the people that came to Jesus through his ministry. God does not afflict but he will use affliction to work his purposes in us. God does not make us sick but he will use sickness to work something in us or through us. God does not hurt us to teach us a lesson but he will use those hurts to highlight that we are utterly reliant on his strength and grace and like Paul we can say in the midst of pain, "Your grace is sufficient for me."
My church background focused so much on material blessings that we expected God to heal everyone and to grant all our requests so we threw out the fact that God, who is not the author of suffering, will use our suffering for his purposes. C.S. Lewis wrote, "If you're approaching Him (God) not as the goal but as a road, not as the end but as a means, you're not really approaching him at all." Our problem is that we have seen God as the means to happiness, to prosperity, to riches and when we do not gain those things we hate God or disbelieve in him because we equate what he sometimes gives with who he is. Romans 8:28 (ESV) points out, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purposes." Notice it doesn't say that all things that happen to us are good or that God promises nothing but good, it says that God will work all things together for good. Regardless of our pain, regardless of our suffering, regardless of our pain, God will redeem it and turn our deepest pain into something redemptive and good. Philip Yancey wrote and I agree, "God's goodness does not mean we will not get hurt, not in this fallen world at least. His goodness goes deeper then pleasure and pain, somehow incorporating both."
Well written. I'm glad you pointed out that God doesn't inflict pain on us to teach a lesson. We do live in a fallen world and a Christian that does not suffer may not be a Christian. The scriptures tells us
ReplyDelete"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12:7)
Not a very fancy topic but it is essential to the Christian. I often think of those who joined the early church and the risk they accepted when they crossed the thresh hold of salvation. At a time when Christians around them were being martyred they willfully become followers of Christ. With full knowledge they would possibly suffer and have their belonging taken and homes destroyed. I remember waking up grieved with the thought that this risk of joining to Christ has been removed from the church. Where the gospel is no longer complete death to self but join at your own convenience and receive benefits. This is a dangerous message, that will merely produce people with mouths that worship God but hearts that are far from Him.
Sufferings are a beautiful thing to the believer with the right perspective. Sufferings sometimes deprive us of resources outside of God where we can no longer lean on our own understanding. When we can no longer find solutions our full dependency turns to God where it should have always been. I had greater revelation of this several months back and Im grateful. Although at the time my trials were not joyous, Im glad God didn't just change the circumstance before I gained the right perspective.
Good topic again bro, evoked some good thoughts in me about suffering, gonna have to write a blog on the subject now.
God is good.
Yeah this idea that we will sail through life in spite of all the hardships if we just know we are a child of God messages a la Osteen and others is really not helpful when people are confronted with the harsh realities of life. We will suffer, sometimes even more so for following Jesus. God is good and he is enough regardless of how bad things get. God is good, and he is enough. If one looks at suffering and indeed all of life through that lens I think it would help many people see clearer. John Piper said that God is most glorified in us when we are satisfied in him. The pain is terrible and we may not see where we are or where we are going but our suffering Savior is right there with us.
ReplyDeleteGreat Stuff... I don't have anything to add, so I will just quote Piper... (Well Piper's Website...)
ReplyDeleteThe cross reminds us always that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him in the midst of suffering.
http://www.desiringgod.org/about/our-distinctives/the-meaning-of-our-logo
I thought this was really interesting, Mike. You know I am certainly no theologian, but I do wonder sometimes at people who face suffering or pain in their lives and say things like, "Why is God doing this to me?" Broadcasting the idea that God (or any other higher power the speaker may be referring to) is just there to remove obstacles from our lives seems irresponsible at best, and pretty detrimental for people who look to their leaders in the faith for guidance. Trite though it may be, I myself have always subscribed to the "God never gives you more than you can handle" aphorism, simply because it puts me in control of my own actions and reactions. I know that my own faith allows me something to lean on, to learn from, and to look to when things are bad. I don't expect God to deliver me from suffering in this life; I expect Him to continue to bolster my strength in myself so that I can survive the things that make me suffer and come out the other side a stronger person.
ReplyDeleteI think our society today, no matter religion you happen to subscribe to, simply relies too heavily on some inane sense of entitlement - as if, by the cosmic luck of being born American, we somehow have the right to have these perfect, stress-free lives. What's life with no conflict? Who are you, if you've never faced adversity and overcome it? Why should an accident of birth render you worthy of special dispensations?
Wow, this made me think! Shew, I'm tired now. Going to contemplate other mysteries of the universe, and possibly watch old episodes of Hill Street Blues on DVD. Later.
Good thoughts. It is something we as Americans definitely think that our lives are to be ones of ease. You do not see this sort of thinking in Christianity at all until America in the late 1800's with the rise of New Thought optimism which tried to combine what they thought was Biblical teaching with this general "new agey manifest your desires" nonsense.
ReplyDeleteOn a few things though I must disagree. I think that God will allow us to experience things we cannot bear because it causes us to realize our utter reliance on him as our strength, as our help, and ultimately as our redeemer. Theres a passage in the NT where someone prays 3 times for God to remove an unnamed problem or pain and 3 times he is told no because in our weakness the strength God gives is perfected and empowers us to continue. I like what you said about bolstering of strength but the difference I would make that the strengthening is not in myself but in him. And one thing that always is comforting to me is I do not serve a God who does not know suffering but I serve a God that suffered like me and even worse then I ever will so ultimately I won't have to when I depart this earth.
Good to hear from you. I hope all is going well for you there.