The Blessing Of Suffering

The blessing of suffering. Yes I said it, there is a great benefit that comes through the challenges and pains of life. In a world focused on our ability to meet our needs and to take care of ourselves, the challenges brought about through our suffering disarms our pride and brings us to a place where we look to God to provide, forgive, and make in us what He sees that we need. It is a hard lesson but one we have to experience throughout our lives in order to take on the image of Jesus.

Why? Because it is a significant tool whose blessing we see in the life of Jesus. In Hebrews 5:8 we read this incredible truth—“Jesus is God’s own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God.”

If this is indeed the case then it means that difficult situations and challenges will be a part of our lives as children of God. Not to hurt us but to peel our hands off everything and anything else we trust in, so that we might raise our hands to Him.

We all love to quote Romans 8:28 that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God.’ But we tend to overlook the fact that some of these ‘all things’ will be very challenging for us because their end goal is to ‘conform us to the image of His Son’ (v. 29).  Yes, the Son who learned obedience through His sufferings.

Faithful missionary Stanley Jones dictated a book through almost paralyzed lips and included these words in it—“There are scars on my faith, but underneath those scars there are no doubts. [Christ] has me with the cooperation of all my life.” 

So, how is God using suffering in your life? Are you asking God to show you how He’ll use it to bless you or are you fighting His work? Remember, suffering is a blessing when we allow it to perform God’s work in us.