I haven’t suffered too much in life, by comparison, but I dislike it when I do. I don’t rejoice when I encounter various trials (I love the wording, though: “various” covers so much ground so nonchalantly) as James directs in 1:2. But I am figuring out a few things that suffering has to teach me.
Suffering teaches me compassion. I’m not a merciful person by nature, so when I suffer it helps me identify with those who are suffering. Suffering is awkward for me. It’s a kind of weakness I don’t know how to handle. I want to tell suffering people to suck it up. (I told you I’m not merciful.) It’s what I tell myself, too, when I’m suffering. But I don’t think that’s what James meant when he said “Consider it all joy” or when Paul talks about “rejoicing in weakness” in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. I certainly don’t think it’s the example Jesus gave us through his suffering. He didn’t suck it up.
He cried and bled and groaned and hung on to God for dear life. He was miserable. You’ve got to be pretty upset to sweat blood. But instead of closing in on himself, he opened up. That’s what gave him the grace to say, “I love you and forgive you” to the people poking at him with a stick while he bled to death. Even more, God’s shocking love was what caused God to say, “I love you and forgive you” to the people poking his son with a stick while his son bled to death. That’s a crazy love. Either he’s twisted or we are.
Suffering also teaches me how much life matters. How valuable life is. That’s the reason suffering sucks … because life is important. So when it goes wrong, it’s painful and awful. If life wasn’t important, suffering wouldn’t matter as much. What I do with my day wouldn’t matter as much … the choices I make wouldn’t matter as much. But they do, because it is. So suffering teaches me the value of life, and why it is such a tragedy for even one to be lost … because that one means the world to God; that one is precious.
It also helps me to understand joy better, and satisfaction. Contrasting opposites help us while we muddle around here on earth. I don’t think they are essential … we’ll understand true joy in heaven without any suffering necessary to define it … but while we’re here it definitely helps deepen my perspective.
And as James says, suffering builds strength in us. No pain, no gain. When we come through on the other side, our faith is stronger – we have more experiential proof to sustain our faith. I think it’s a tribute to God’s greatness that he uses suffering … the exact opposite of his purpose in creation … to build stronger faith in us. He redeems everything! Everything meant to harm us, he transforms into something that blesses us (Gen 50:20). And the benefits don’t just nurture us, but extend to others as well.
What does suffering teach you? How has God transformed your suffering? Can you see any opportunity for healing and growth through the suffering in your life?
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