Even Jesus on the Cross of Calvary asked "Why?" We are all going to ask this question, but faith in God sees us through every hardship!
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Why Won't God End My Suffering?
By Peter Stone
Everyone suffers, Christian and non-Christian. Job 5:7 'Yet
man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.'
However, us Christians often respond to suffering in one of two ways:
b) another common reaction is to think the trial is the result
of
concealed sin in our life. We begin a soul-searching witch-hunt trying
to find that sin. I spent hours praying, searching my heart and mind,
tearing myself to pieces as I tried to uncover concealed sins all to no
avail.
James 1:2-4 teaches us what reaction we should have, but it is a very
difficult verse to learn to put into practice. 'Consider it pure joy,
my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything.'
This teaches us that trials:
a) are going to come our way
b) and will do so for a reason
Christian Suffering
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At first I struggled (and failed) to put James 1:2-4 into
practice
while depressed. Romans 8:28 says, 'And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.' Yet we may well say, "What good could ever
possibly come into my life through this?!"
It was only after I accepted that depression was part of my life and
stopped fighting and fearing it, that I was able to put James 1:2-4
into practice. At that time I thanked and praised God for what He was
doing in me through the depression, and for the depression as well. I
recognised His sovereignty - that He was in control - and was using it
for good, and would use it for good. Recovery from depression begins in
earnest when we reach this place - it also releases the power of God's
grace into our lives.
This then is the first reason God allows trials to come our way He uses
them to develop our faith and maturity and to fashion us into the image
of Christ. This can be very painful, but is well worth it in the end.
(A small post script here too. Note that James says 'face trials of
many kinds.' He does not say 'all kinds.' We can avoid some trials by
simply walking away from them. Others are spiritual attacks that can be
torn down with the spiritual weapons we have in Jesus. And in other
cases, God does free us from them miraculously. But we need God's
wisdom to recognise what kind of trial we are experiencing. Too often
people think depression is a spiritual attack that can be stopped
instantly, or an illness that should be healed on the spot.)
There is a second reason God allows us to undergo trials. It is during
these times that we learn to rely upon Christ's strength, rather than
upon our own. We come to realise that Christ's grace and provision is
truly all we need to persevere.
Paul learnt this lesson through his own sufferings, as revealed in 2
Corinthians 12:8-10. 'Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it [a
thorn in my flesh] away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I
delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'
To surrender control of our life to Jesus, and to accept the suffering
instead of fighting and pleading for it to end, is a difficult lesson
to learn. But we can rest assured that Jesus will never put us through
something that we cannot overcome with His assistance. Philippians
4:12-13 'I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.'
The other day, while reading the diary I kept while depressed, I was
amazed to find this entry from March 1990.
March already. To think that I was expecting this year to be the best I
have had yet. It's a nightmare, and the worst I can remember. In light
of all this, I have been thinking of marriage in two ways. On one hand,
I'm in favour of never getting married. If I'm going to go through
things like this again and again, then I do not want to burden any poor
woman with me. On the other hand, I will not mind going through things
such as this, if my wife will go through such things too. In which
case, at that time I will understand what she is going through, and I
will simply support her, accept her, place no pressure on her, and I
will give her as long as she needs to come out of it.
I had no idea how prophetic that entry was. My wife did indeed suffer
from depression, and because I had been there previously, I was able to
support her through it.
This then is a third reason God allows us to suffer. These trials equip
us to comfort and encourage others who face the same trials. 2
Corinthians 1:3-4 describes the process perfectly. 'Praise be to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and
the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we
can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have
received from God.'
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus endured trials on Earth, for that very same
purpose. Because He went through them, He is able to comfort and
support us.
Hebrews 4:14-16 'Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has
gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to
the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we areyet was without sin. Let us then approach the
throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help us in our time of need.'
In Isaiah 9:6 we read that one of Jesus' names is Counsellor, or
Comforter. 'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.'
So be encouraged that Jesus is able to comfort us because He
experienced trials too, and be further encouraged that we go through
trials such as depression so that we can later comfort and support
others who are going through it. I like to think of myself as a
signpost that shows others suffering from depression the way to learn
to live with it, and then overcome it.
(All verses from the NIV)
http://cornerstonethefoundation.blogspot.com/
Peter Stone, a Bible College Graduate, has an international marriage
and two children. Suffers from epilepsy and otosclerosis. He teaches
Sunday school and plays the piano in church.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS-MAKE A WEBSITE
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