Church Family,
Several weeks ago, someone gave me a copy of Elizabeth Elliot’s book Suffering Is Never for Nothing. I have a variety of goals over the next several weeks, and one of them is to read often. So yesterday, I picked up Elliot’s book and was thoroughly encouraged by it. One of the things that I appreciated about how she addresses the reality of suffering is her honesty. If you know Elizabeth Elliot’s life, you know it has been one of suffering. While God has used her mightily over the years, the years haven’t always been easy. Elliot doesn’t try to explain suffering with platitudes or trite statements. She admits that we may never know the reasons for some of our suffering. She writes, “suffering is a mystery that none of us is really capable of plumbing. And it’s a mystery about which I’m sure everyone as some time or another has asked why?”
Later in the book, she admits, that in her own troubles and sufferings, God hasn’t generally offered explanations. Instead, and this is one of her main comforts, she admits that God has met her in a person – the person of Jesus Christ. This she declares, is exactly what we need. Her argument is that if our faith depends on God giving us specific answers to our requests and prayers, then that faith won’t last. Rather, our faith must rest in the character of God, which we see fully in the person of Jesus Christ – who suffered for us.
Over the past 8-9 weeks, I have sought God repeatedly concerning the pain and discomfort I am experiencing. There have been few days that have passed by where I haven’t asked, “Why God?” Needless to say, Elliot’s book has brought conviction. I may never know why – and I need to be okay with this fact. Why? Because I can trust God’s character. He’s proven His love in the cross of Christ. Sufferers need to refocus on God’s character and as Elliot writes, recognize that “there are a good many things in this life that we really can’t do anything about, but that God wants us to do something with.”
Perhaps the most convicting chapter in the book for me was the chapter on gratitude. Gratitude ought to be a distinguishing mark for all Christians. God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18). When things are going well, this isn’t so difficult. But when things are tough, experience tells us that giving thanks is not our first response. While we may not necessarily give thanks for the specific circumstance (remember the call is to give thanks in all circumstance), we can always give thanks because we know God’s love. In other words, we have so much to be grateful for, even when we are suffering, because God is sovereign and is working for our good.
Suffering is a reality of living in a fallen world. The reality of suffering doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us or no longer loves us. Consider this: If suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure in our lives, then what do we make of Jesus’ suffering. No one suffered more than Jesus, but the Father was fully pleased with Jesus. On a few occasions in Scripture, God declares that Jesus is His beloved Son. While Jesus felt abandoned at the cross, the Father clearly did not abandon Him for He was raised on the third day and given the name that is above every name (Phil 2).
We may feel abandoned at times as well. Remember, the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41). For this very reason, it’s essential that we draw near to God, remind ourselves regularly of His character and promises, and ask for grace to believe and to trust. It’s also important that you don’t fight the battle of faith alone. Confess your weakness to close friends. Let’s pray for each other in this battle.
Pastor Nate