“Do you want to grow as a Christian?” If I were to ask you this, there is a good chance that your answer would be an enthusiastic “Yes!” The truth is, most Christians have a desire to grow and become more like Christ. We know the value of the spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, Bible reading, worship, giving, etc. and try to incorpate them into our lives. The truth is, these are important disciplines that we should practice daily to grow in Christ-likeness. However, there is one facet of the Chrsitian life that we tend to minimize as a means of spiritual growth: suffering. Our natural tendency is to see suffering as something that needs to be fixed or alleviated. We spend quite a bit of our time attempting to find a solution to our problems so that we can be more comfortable. What if God has a plan for suffering that we can’t see? Hear from the words of Paul:
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)
On the surface, Paul’s statement to rejoice in suffering is quite startling and disturbing. We don’t naturally do this. Why would we ever rejoice in our sufferings? As Chrsitians, we rejoice because we know that God is doing a work in us through our suffering that will lead us into greater Christ-likeness. It is through our suffering that our faith is tested and strengthened for our good and His glory. In the moments of great difficulty and testing, we look to Him and we have the opportunity to experience a closeness to the Lord that we may not know in times of ease. I have found that in these hard moments, the spiritual disciplines become even more urgent and meaningful in my life. When I look back on my Christian life, much of my growth has come after moments of great trial and difficulty. If this is true, then when I try to minimize or alleviate my suffering, am I missing an opportunity for Spiritual growth? That is a difficult question to consider. The truth is, much of the pain that we experience is real and raw, and I would never want to minimize that in your life. Please hear my heart when I say that as your pastor I feel a great burden for you when you are suffering in your life. My heart hurts for you. However, I also take great comfort in knowing that the pain you experience will not be wasted and He will make something beautiful out of the brokenness that you feel. Not only that, but you will be stronger and more hope-filled than ever before.
I don’t know what you are experiencing right now. I imagine that you might be going through something that causes great pain and many tears. Know this: God desires to use these experiences for your good. He is teaching you something right now that will help you in your journey to becoming more like Jesus. In your dark moments, run to Him and you will be filled with an abundant hope that will continue to grow in your life. Although it may be hard to see right now, but God is working. Never underestimate what He can do in the midst of your suffering.
In Christ,
Pastor Donald Holliday