Is there any fruit out of suffering and pain?
Many years back, I have asked that question. For me, suffering and pain are like a heavy load in the back. Imagine that as we walk, there is this load that we carry. It makes us feel uncomfortable. It makes our walk harder and slower. It wearies our body. In short, suffering and pain won’t do any good. Instead, it will be a burden and a discomfort that we need to carry along the way. Is it not exhausting just thinking about it? I bet if we had the choice not to go through it, we will choose to swerve path. But sometimes, we do not have the capacity to let it slide.
God, in His sovereignty, allowed me to experience pain and suffering so I would have a new definition and understanding of them in His perspective. I did not choose to be in this difficult journey, but God made me see the beauty of the road to suffering and pain. That, despite its unwelcoming ambiance, there are precious lessons we can grasp if we learn to see it through His eyes.
In Joseph’s life, pain and suffering were his companion for many years. Being sold as a slave because of jealousy by his own brothers, imprisoned for the wrong thing that he did not do, being in the oblivion for years, I guess his heart felt so much discouragement and pain. But his faith did not waiver. Amidst his suffering, he trusted God. I wonder, did he ever question God? When he was imprisoned, did he ever ask where was God in the picture? I believe that because of his faith to Him, he became so confident that God was working silently. It did not mean that he never felt anything but I guess his confidence and trust in God motivated him to press forward. True enough, after many years, God lifted him up. Not just an ordinary man but next to Pharaoh. Yes, next to Pharaoh! How encouraging that is! When we are just reading his story in Genesis, we might utter, “wow” and we feel amazed. Yet, have we tried putting ourselves in his shoes? Everyday his heart longed for his family especially his father Jacob. When he was imprisoned, probably, he sobbed, too for his fate. Still, he trusted God.
Mold Our Character (to Trust Him More)
Joseph’s rough journey was all planned by God. Day by day, as he faced uncertainties in life, he learned to trust God completely. He learned to be wise in dealing with his seemingly ill-fated journey. When he became a servant, he learned to work hard. When he was in Potiphar’s house, he learned to fear God (he refused to be with Potiphar’s wife). When he was in-charge of the prison, he learned how to manage things and oversee the work. When the Lord lifted him in that high position, he was already ready to take charge. It did not happen overnight. It was years of molding his character so he would be someone whom the Lord could use for His glory.
Many times, we have heard that in our Christian life, God is not so concerned with our money, nor achievement, nor success but our character. In every situation that we are into, there is a character that God wants us to improve, polish, or repent of.
Through my pain and suffering, God allowed me to see those characters that need to be molded. Trust in Him is the hardest lesson I have learned. Like Joseph, most of the time, I don’t see Him working right away. But in the end, I am always amazed that those times that I do not see His hands, He is busy working on the background.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 are great verses that never fail to encourage me. Yes, for sure this is the time that I cannot lean on my understanding nor will.
“ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”
I knew I had a hard time trusting God, though I believed in Him. As I go through pain and suffering, the only one whom I can trust and depend on moment by moment is Him. In my pain and heartaches, I have been learning to trust God more and more. And I am amazed how he has rewarded those who have put their trust in Him.
In your suffering and pain, what godly character does God want you to learn? Are you in the season of life where you can say that your heart trusts in Him alone?
Set Our Minds To Long For Heaven
The Lord did not promise an easy life for Christians. The Scripture tells us that “in this world we shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; He has overcome the world,” (Matthew 16:33). Those pain and suffering left us broken. That brokenness will lead us to long for heaven. As the song goes, “this place is not our home and we are just passers by.” If we truly understand this, then we will see our heartaches as a blessing. If now, we are living comfortably in this world, then our hearts are not set for heaven. Whatever circumstance we have right now, we must remember that God said that He will come again. Believe it with all your heart.
When Stephen was stoned to death because of his faith, he uttered words that inspired me when I read his story (Acts 7:54-60).
“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. . .”
When we appreciate that our life is not meant to last here on Earth but in Heaven, we will receive those trials and suffering with joy and anticipation believing that it will just be for a temporary moment. No amount of pain and suffering will ever compare when finally, the glory of God will be revealed to us.
This wilderness of pain and suffering taught me to long for Heaven. Because there, I will be with Jesus. No more pain. No more suffering. No more tears. Only worship and adoration for Him.
Give Us A New Perspective On Life
There are times that God allow us to go through wilderness for us to be awaken to the reality that life is short. When I learned that I am so sick and that my time may just be short, I gained a new perspective about life. I learned to slow down. I learned to include God in everything I do. I learned to be thankful for each morning that I open my eyes. Those little things matter but I took for granted before. Though I still fail being in the flesh, I am grateful that my mind is being renewed day by day.
It’s weird but I wanted to thank God for letting me walk in the wilderness of suffering and desert of pain. I can say that “it is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes,” Psalm 119:71.
When we gain a new perspective on life, we will value each moment that will come to pass. James is right that our life is like a vapour that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away (James 4:14). Make each moment count for eternity.
What do you think is the fruit of your suffering and pain?
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