Suffering, naturally, most often evokes sorrow and not joy. That’s why we call it suffering. However, could you imagine life without it? It may sound good from the surface until you begin to notice the deficiencies in your life caused by its absence. While we should not wish it upon ourselves, there are many things to be gained in our torment. Last year I was asked to speak on this very topic and the following is the outline delivered. The general points are not original with me. While researching the topic I came across these wonderful points in a book titled Don’t Ever Give Up by brother Bob Spurlin. Brother Spurlin is a gospel preacher who knows suffering as much and more than most anybody I’ve ever known. In the biographical sketch provided on the back of his book this information about him is provided:
“Robert D. (Bob) Spurlin was a preacher for nearly thirty years before multiple sclerosis forced him into retirement. He had preached in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Florida.
He attended Alabama Christian College (now Faulkner University), in Montogmery, Alabama. He graduated from Memphis School of Preaching in Memphis, Tennessee.
While in school in Montgomery, Alabama he met and married his wife Beverly. They have been married for thirty-three years. Beverly continues to be a devoted wife and helper to Bob in his health problems.
Bob has had his share of burdens in life. He is, by life’s problems, qualified to discuss these pertinent matters. His brother was murdered. His sixteen-year-old daughter, Bethany, was killed in a traffic accident. Bob’s mother died from acute leaukemia. His own battle with MS has kept him confined to a hospital bed for over eight years.”
Having read that, particularly the last paragraph, I believe you will see that brother Spurlin is eminently qualified to provide the following advice I shared:
Title: What Suffering Can Do For You
Text: Matthew 26:36-46 – example of Jesus suffering
Main Point: The torment and anguish of Jesus was very real. In fact, His would encompass and surpass all facets of human suffering – physical, spiritual, and emotional. Yet in the midst of it all He found strength in His suffering. While we more often times than not beseech God to relieve us from suffering, the Bible actually informs us of the blessing of such trial (James 1:2-3). But what possible blessing could be reaped from such suffering?
Discussion Points:
- Suffering Can Prevent us from Loving the World – 1 John 2:15-17 – don’t love the world because it separates us from God and will eventually pass away. When the world shows us its true face in our lives, it keeps us from being too attached to it and motivates us to go to the place that is everything this world is not.
- Suffering Can Remove the Impurities of Life – Job 23:10 – Job said of his own sufferings that he would come forth as gold. Smelting gold is the process of recovering micro gold from mineral deposits and involves intense heat. Suffering does the same in our lives, helping us to concentrate on things of much greater importance (1 Peter 1:7).
- Suffering Can Convince us of Our Dependence on God – Matthew 19:16-22 – the rich young man did not recognize his dependence on Jesus and walked away. Human torment is one thing common to us all, but one thing that can only be healed at the hands of the Great Physician (Mark 2:17).
- Suffering Can Produce a Sympathetic Heart – one issue that torments Christians as much as any is an inability to sympathize with the problems of others. In our suffering we develop hearts like the Good Samaritan’s so that we truly can help others in their needs (Luke 10:25-35; Galatians 6:10).
- Suffering Can Enrich Our Prayer Lives – who among us have not at times echoed the plea of David, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:12)? We must never develop the attitude that we only need God when life is hard, but it is only natural for our attention to prayer be magnified in times of trial.
We must be reminded that Christians are promised, “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Ultimately, by utilizing the suffering we endure in life we can be molded into people like Jesus who are able to endure no matter what may come!