Bittersweet Suffering

Suffering is a sweet and bitter providence. I happen to believe that to be the best way of describing suffering in the life of a believer. For unbelievers, I would simply say suffering was bitter because they are separated from the only One who can bring comfort. This post comes on the heels of finishing the book: Tortured for Christ, a book about Richard Wurmbrand, founder of Voice of the Martyrs, who was imprisoned for 14 years under Communist Romania as well as the book The Hiding Place written by the Dutch Reformed Christian Corrie Ten Boom. Ten Boom aided in the hiding of Jews during the rule of Nazi Germany. I am also writing this in light of an unbiblical approach to suffering that is rampant.

Most people do not give a great deal of thought as to how they've arrived at their way of thinking and doing life. We all just go about doing life completely oblivious to our worldview. The most common thing I hear from believers and unbelievers alike is "be positive". What does that mean?

From what I gather, being positive or positive thinking implies that if you focus on the good parts or the best possible outcome, then you will not be bogged down with negative feelings. But what if you do, and the worst possible outcome occurs? What if the loved one dies or what if the child still goes astray? Was it because you weren't focused on the positive?

Being positive is ultimately a New Age way of thinking. It has existed for many years, but has really become popular in recent years with a major influence from Oprah Winfrey. The influence in the Christian realm are from people like Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer. At the core, these beliefs in the power of positive thinking are about the power of the mind and of the thoughts and they are attempting to avoid anything "bad" or "negative" happening. And ultimately, it depends on our own power rather than the power of Jesus.

This is unbiblical. First of all, what if Christ had never suffered? We wouldn't have salvation. Paul, in a letter to the church at Philippi wrote: "...you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake"(Philippians 1:29) and Paul says in the very next verse that he is suffering in the same way that the Philippians are suffering. Suffering for the cause of Christ and for his name's sake should be and will be a part of the Christian's walk. If we are to be conformed to the image of our Lord, then we must endure suffering at some point in this life.

In my thoughts on suffering, I kept going back to Job. It is almost impossible to consider suffering without thinking of Job. In Job 6, we get to see a very clear picture of just how pitfalls, failures and personal losses weigh on our thoughts. Listen to the despair in Job's words: (Job 6:1-3z, 8-10)

"Oh that my vexation were weighed,
and all my calamity laid in the balances!
For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;"

"Oh that I might have my request,
and that God would fulfill my hope,
that it would please God to crush me,
that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!
This would be my comfort;
I would even exult in pain unsparing,
for I have not denied the words of the Holy One."

I have felt the way Job felt. I have not suffered loss and sickness as Job did, but I have wanted death to swallow me up. Oh yes, there have been very dark times in my life. Times when "I have not denied the words of the Holy One." Dark times have occured when I am living out God's Word and pursing holiness in the name of Jesus. This is what happened to Job. He was not in willful, unrepentant sin. He loved the Lord. But, God allowed it to happen. He allowed Job to be stripped of everything and at the same time kept Job's heart for Himself. There were times Job questioned all his calamity and saw no relief in sight, but God was faithful to Job and restored everything and then some to Job in the end.

Job's story of suffering parallels somewhat in the suffering of Christ. Jesus did nothing to bring suffering and death on himself, yet it was the will of the Father to allow those things. Christ remained in the Father even unto his death. There were even times Jesus was downcast with fear and anxiety. Take a look at the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had been abandoned by everyone, and was alone in the Garden praying to the Father in so much despair that he began to sweat profusely "like drops of blood" asking for the Father to remove this burden from him.

Job and Jesus dealt with suffering and felt despair. I have suffered. You have suffered--maybe you are suffering now.

Know that what you are going through is not uncommon to great characters in redemptive history and it is not ucommmon to God himself. Just as God allowed suffering to come to Job and Jesus, he allows it to come to us. He allows it to come to us to draw us to Him. He will be faithful to restore us.

I encourage anyone who is suffering or knows anyone who is suffering, to look at it from a Biblical perspective and not be taken captive by the world's philosophy in overcoming sadness and despair. Give assurance that God is sovereign over the suffering and that He ultimately intends it for their good and for His glory. Be compassionate on their season of suffering and don't make light of it. Offer up intercessory prayers for them. Encourage them. Love them in their sweet and bitter providence of suffering. And remind them of the joy that has been set before them.