God Shapes Us Through Suffering

07 Mar God Shapes Us Through Suffering

God will convert our suffering into spiritual blessing

Terry Waite, former emissary to the Archbishop of Canterbury, went to the Middle East in 1986 to try to negotiate the release of some hostages who had been taken by terrorists, and ended up a hostage himself. He was released at the end of 1991 after nearly five years of solitary confinement in Lebanon, chained to the wall of his room for almost twenty-four hours a day.

After his release, he wrote: “I have been determined in captivity, and still am determined, to convert this experience into something that will be useful and good for other people. I think that’s the way to approach suffering. It seems to me that Christianity doesn’t in any way lessen suffering. What it does is enable you to take it, face it, to work through it, and eventually to convert it.”

Daniel Defoe wrote in Robinson Crusoe, a book filled with deep spiritual insights, that “God will often deliver us in a manner that seems, initially, to bring about our destruction.”

It is often only after we think we have been destroyed – and survived – that we begin to believe this, and draw spiritual strength from its profound truth.

In a more elaborate expression, John Newton, the author of the well-known hymn “Amazing Grace,” wrote in an untitled poem:

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace,
Might more of his salvation know
And seek more earnestly his face.

‘Twas he who taught me thus to pray,
And he, I trust, has answered prayer;
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once he’d answer my request,
And by his love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, he made me feel
The hidden evil of my heart,
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea, more, with his own hand he seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe,
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

“Lord, why this?” I trembling cried,
“Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?”
“Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free,
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou mayest seek thy all in me.”

God will convert our suffering into spiritual blessing if we trust Him.

We can draw additional strength from Jesus’ example of suffering for us

James Packer, in his book, Rediscovering Holiness, admitted his own need for help during times of intense suffering: “I am a silly child who stumbles and fumbles and tumbles every day. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, I need your help. Lord, have mercy; hold me up, and hold me steady—please, starting now. Amen.”

The first time I read Rediscovering Holiness was during a time of significant physical suffering. I didn’t feel like I was going through it very well. The grace of God didn’t seem sufficient. Day after day, week after week, month after month, I pleaded with God to bring me relief from my suffering, to make His grace sufficient for me. Each night, I prayed that God would make tomorrow a better day. And for months at a time, tomorrow was no better; it was often worse.

I did not feel, on many occasions, that even my nostrils were above the surface. But by some miracle of grace that I can only see looking backward, God saw me through.

We can draw additional strength from Jesus’ example of suffering for us. Our bond with Jesus is strengthened by observing that Jesus suffered more for us than we suffer for Him, a fact that is magnified by the realization that His suffering was caused by our sin – and He willingly suffered to pay for our sin.

It is, as Edward Stiletto wrote in his poem, “Jesus of the Scars”:

The other gods were strong, but You were weak.
They rode, but You stumbled to the throne.
But to our wounds, only God’s wounds can speak,
And no god has wounds but You alone.

Jesus willingly entered our world of suffering, and as a result, “…we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).

The door is wide open to go to Jesus for grace and strength when we are suffering.

Conclusion

The hottest fire produces the strongest steel. The wildest winds make the toughest trees. The greatest trials create the strongest faith. Wanting to be a mature Christian without trials is like wanting to be a great athlete without training, to be pure gold without refining, to be an accomplished pianist without the practice.

Certainly, if the suffering is significant, we will want to escape. If the trial is not something that makes us want to escape, then it is not intense enough to strengthen the steel, toughen the tree, condition the athlete, purify the gold or prepare the pianist.

There is no embarrassment in wanting to escape; even Moses, even the apostle Paul, even Jesus wanted to escape. But often we can’t. So, in the midst of our pain, we remind ourselves, God has not abandoned us. This will bring about for us the transformation we long for. When you are crying for release is when you’re being most fitted by God for great character and service. When the pain seems unbearable, we cry out to God as Jesus did for the grace to bear it. We take hope in the fact that the season of suffering will produce great spiritual growth and great eternal reward.

Suffering is a calling for each Christian, one that prepares us for glory with Christ by drawing us deeper into the sanctity of being like Him. And, of course, we fulfill our purpose imperfectly. Yet, if someone the stature of Packer can say, “I am a silly child who stumbles and fumbles and tumbles every day,” then we need not despair if we stumble and fumble and tumble. But, let us also pray along with him: “Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, I need your help. Lord, have mercy; hold me up, and hold me steady—please, starting now. Amen.”

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