Suffering

Over the years, I’ve noticed a doctrine from many of the influential voices of modern Christianity. It’s found in the TikToks and reels, as well as many of the worship songs we sing in churches, at least the ones I’m familiar with. There is an ever-increasing emphasis on breakthrough. I like to call it breakthrough doctrine. The message of this doctrine drives home the point that the uncomfortable situation of suffering you find yourself in is temporary and the breakthrough moment is just right around the corner. Now there isn’t something inherently wrong with this message, and I respect and appreciate the producers of the content I speak of, whether preaching or worship music. I do wonder, however, if the hyper-focus on breakthrough is healthy. My fear is that as we unintentionally condition ourselves too long so much for the more comfortable times to come, the breakthrough moment, that we miss all that the benefits that suffering has to offer.

Now I’m not suggesting we should long for periods of suffering. Only a lunatic would do that. Neither is suffering reduced to a season we are placed in to simply demonstrate how much grit and determination we have, or show our metal if you will. However, I would suggest that if we understood all the benefits that suffering has for us, perhaps we wouldn’t be in such a rush to escape, but rather endure.

Let me be clear, I’m not saying that it’s wrong to prefer to not be suffering. In fact, even Jesus preferred a different path when He asked for the cup of suffering to pass from Him while He was praying in Gethsemane the night of His capture. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ says that “Jesus …offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death.” However, it was walking through the suffering that Jesus “learned obedience,” as we see in verse 8. Did you catch that? Jesus learned. The instrument used for his learning… suffering.

How much more beneficial is suffering for us for the purposes of learning? As long as we are on earth, suffering is part of the journey. No one is immune. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that “in this life, we will have trouble.” We can’t escape it. The degree of suffering is relative to each individual. But don’t lose heart Jesus said, for He has overcome it.

The Bible has so much to say about suffering. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” I recently heard Robert Morris point out that in the totality of scripture, there is no other mention of character development outside of hardship.

That means that there is growth developing in us that can only happen through suffering, not just experiencing the suffering, but rather enduring through the suffering. Suffering has so many benefits that we don’t get otherwise. Suffering is…The pathway to heaven. Acts 14:22. The destiny of the Christ follower. 1 Thessalonians 3:3. Partnership with Christ. 1 Peter 4:12. Shared glory with Christ. Romans 8:17

Suffering isn’t something to be escaped, but rather to be leveraged, as we endure. Suffering teaches us things, and brings benefits that comfort cannot. Empathy for someone who is hurting can often only be learned by having experienced hurt. Suffering can increase our reliance on, and intimacy with Jesus in ways that comfort can not. Suffering is God’s primary tool for sanctification. The middle of suffering reveals how hopeful of our salvation in Jesus we really are, as we saw in Romans 5:4. Hope of our salvation is an eternal focus while understanding the current suffering is temporary. The more hopeful we are of our salvation, the less suffering affects us negatively. The school of hard knocks teaches us lessons that can’t be learned on Easy Street. While we shouldn’t intentionally run towards suffering, we should embrace it for its benefits, just as Jesus did.

I would like to motivate and empower you to embrace suffering, embrace hardships, embrace risk and danger, as opposed to living to avoid suffering at all costs. May we be those who take up our crosses and follow Jesus anywhere, especially the places where love is needed most, and suffering is the vehicle.

So what should our attitude be when we experience suffering or hardships? As the great modern philosopher Jocko Willink states so often, “good.” Or to quote James, “consider it joy, my brethren.”