Related Message
The 24/7 blog that we've called Resources is intended to be a multifaceted exploration of the Christian life. It is a place where we expand the conversation about what God is doing in our lives and in our community, and further reflect on what it looks like to live a life of full devotion to Christ, 24/7. This post further explores and unpacks the difficult and thorny issue of suffering in our lives. It was composed by Alley Vanden Bogert, a longtime member of Southridge.
As we talk about suffering and why it happens, I find myself thinking about some of the more intense periods of suffering I’ve had in my own life and about those in my life that are suffering right now. During these times, for me anyway, I find that the impact of feelings of loss, loneliness, sadness, confusion, etc., can be so overwhelming that reality can become shaped by these feelings. The experience of painful feelings can overshadow any ability to gain perspective and focus one’s thoughts on God’s presence and purposes. Questions like, “Why me?”, “Why now?” and “Why is no one helping me?” can so quickly consume us as though the answers to these questions will somehow make our suffering less painful.
In these painful times, the questions come fast and hard while answers are few. I’m not even sure that the answers that we are searching for, the ones that we hope will make all the pain make sense, are available. For instance, in the Bible we see Job endure terrible pain and suffering, and in the end, we are only given a vague understanding as to the purposes behind it. We find that God reveals Job’s faithfulness, that “...the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10) and that Job’s relationship with God was strengthened. But how can it be that for all his suffering, Job doesn’t even get an explanation? Why did it have to happen that way? What were specific actions and reactions that caused the events to unfold as they did?
Similarly, when we consider Jesus’ suffering on the cross, we don’t find an explanation that satisfies all of our questioning. God does not provide us with a detailed account of the events and their specific purpose. Without the answers to the questions that we want, how can we hope to move beyond our suffering or even make sense of suffering in general?
As we heard on Sunday, we can think about suffering in personal, theological and intellectual ways. Perhaps for those that are experiencing suffering now, the conversation must stay personal, at least for the time being. For others, we may gain some understanding by considering new perspectives and questions from a slightly different point of view. In thinking about why God allows suffering in the world, something that stands out to me is that God doesn’t just allow suffering in the world - He also allows his own suffering. Therefore, God must understand suffering in a different way than we do and conclude that it is worth the risk. In a book called Let God Be God, Ray C. Stedman in talking about suffering, says this: “Ultimately, we must accept the fact that God does not exist for man, but man exists for God. We are God’s instruments, and we exist to carry out His plans and purposes, which transcend our limited understanding.” I like the part of this quote that highlights our limited understanding of God’s ways. James 1:2-4 also points to a different understanding of suffering when it encourages us to consider trials “pure joy”. It would seem that suffering in general does not exist so that we can understand why it is happening, but perhaps like Job, when it is out of our control, we must endure it to somehow bring us to greater faithfulness and deeper relationship with God.
In The Reason for God, Timothy Keller points out that God may not provide answers for the questions of our suffering but He does provide support, "In Jesus Christ, God experienced the greatest depths of pain. Therefore, though Christianity does not provide the reason for each experience of pain, it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair.” Our comfort and relief come not in discovering the answers, but in discovering that we are not alone. As followers of Christ it is also important for us to provide support to those in our lives that are suffering – not by trying to provide answers in the midst of pain, but by being a part of the resources that allow a person to face suffering with hope and courage. We must not minimize or devalue another’s pain by trying to explain it away. We must affirm the experiences of our loved ones and respect their perspective when they choose to let us in.
As you think about your own reactions to suffering, consider: do you tend to search for answers to relieve your pain? Do you think and rethink the events to try and figure out why? Are you willing to learn to consider trials “pure joy”? Can you rely on your relationship with God and others to support you through times of suffering? When it comes to others’ suffering, do you tend to try to rationalize their pain, or can you just be supportive? How can you grow in these areas?
