Intro: When writing this message, not to long ago, I had a conversation with a lady who lives here In the trailer park where I live. I was cutting her yard for her because she was hurt 2 weeks ago and could not do so and asked me to cut the lawn for her till she gets better.
When she came to pay me I could see she was distraught. She had in her hands a bunch of quarters and broken rolls of quarters and asked me I hope you take quarters.
I could see she was hurting and asked her dear what’s wrong, and she broke down crying and pour out all of her troubles to me that she was dealing with and experiencing. Then she was asking why was all this happing to her.
I looked at her thinking what words to speak and I was a bit lost of what to tell her and help her understand why she was dealing with all the mess she was in. So I told her you know what dear, keep your money, and if this matters at all, Jesus loves you and be blessed.
She broke down and cried thanked me, then I listen to her more and did my best to ease her fears and hurts and to comfort her the best way that I could.
She got around to asking me about my wife who was also suffering and as I was listing to her, my mind was thinking of my wife. Then I said to myself, what Sherry is dealing with is nothing compare to what this lady was dealing with and come to think of it, they are a lot more folks dealing with far worst than what Sherry has.
So when I finished cutting the yards, this lead me to write this message and I hope it helps someone else who may be suffering something In their lives in what I am about to say, including me and my wife.
Reading: 1 Peter 5:10 - And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Prayer…..
Title: Why Do Christians Suffer?
The title says it all, Why Do Christians Suffer? The only thing I can think of is this, we who have been called to this great purpose of conformity to the image of Christ will for that reason also be called to suffer with Christ.
If we want to know him and the power of his resurrection, then we will need to share in his sufferings, Philippians 3:10 says - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Romans 8:17 also says – and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
What we learn from these passages is, that our death in any way is redemptive. Only Christ’s death can save. But yet, if anyone is in Christ, then that person has glory and hardship in store.
When giving this some thought’s of a answer to share, all I can think of is that the central reason for Christian suffering is fellowship with Christ. We should not be surprised at the trials that come our way but be glad that they mean we are communing with Christ’s sufferings. It can even be said that we fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.
Colossians 1:24 – says Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
So often we are caught off guard by our sufferings, as though we ought to be exempt. We reason that since we are not condemned, then why should we continue to pay any price?
We hardly have all the answers for the mystery of suffering, especially the suffering of Christians. Ultimately, only God can have reasons for the evil in this world and the pain inflicted on its inhabitants. We do know that the immediate responsibility for evil is ours, not God’s.
But we wonder why believers who are acquitted from the responsibility still must receive the consequences deserved by sinners. The Bible explains that suffering has a number of purposes connected with sanctification.
One of them is the purification of our faith. Here is what Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:7 - so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Peter tells us As gold is refined by fire, so our faith is perfected by hardship and trials, so that it will result in praise and glory and honor on the last day.
As Christians, we all love the thought of sharing in Christ's glory, but what about sharing in His suffering? Jesus took care of the death penalty once and for all so we don't ever have to worry about that again.
Again the Bible does teaches that we must suffer times of trials if we are to share in the glory. So the hard question we need to ask, Is it worth it?
Read what Paul says in Romans 8:18: ... For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!
Many of us think we suffer because of our circumstances. We believe that if our circumstances would change, we'd be able to act right. But God wants us to become so mature and stable that we act right even when none of our circumstances are good.
What all of this boils down to is understand that God has a plan and in this plan they will be times we will suffer, and this is when it comes down to having faith and trusting in that faith God has this covered.
What we need to understand that God's plan is for us to exercise a higher level of faith that will carry us through life's challenges. This requires even greater faith than being delivered from a situation, sure it’s not easy at these time, never the less we need to have faith in him and draw closer to him in these hard times.
Yes this is hard for us at times when these things happen. Suffering is an expected part of the Christian life. Jesus told His followers in John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
That truth about overcoming sustains Christians when suffering threatens to overwhelm. Yes Christians suffer for a variety of reasons, including many of the same reasons non-Christians suffer—life on this broken planet can be difficult. Christians may also suffer for some of the same reasons Jesus did in accordance to the bible.
Believers represent an uncompromising truth that the world doesn’t want to hear, that Jesus Christ is the only path to God. We also need to understand suffering of any kind was not part of God’s original creation.
Everything He created was “very good”. But Sin corrupted the world at Adam’s disobedience, and sin continues to corrupt the world as we each add our own poor decisions, rebellion, and selfishness.
Sin has ripple effects, as well; our sin harms others, and their sin harms us, even when we’ve done nothing wrong. Becoming a Christian does not insulate us from the ugliness in our world, nor does it protect us from the natural, temporal consequences of sin.
Peter encourages us in our times trials, and reminding us that suffering has a purpose: As we read not to long ago in 1 Peter 1:7 - so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words, God uses temporary suffering to refine the character of His own children.
In closing…
There are several possible reasons for Christian suffering that are distinct from the reasons for the general suffering experienced by everyone and they could be this.
1. Suffering may be a form of discipline. God is a good Father, and when one of His children goes astray, He may use suffering to bring him or her back.
2. Suffering enables Christians to identify with and encourage other sufferers.
2nd Corinthians 1:3–4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Those who have experienced the grace of God in their trouble are better equipped to help others find the same grace in their trouble.
3. Suffering helps us draw closer to the Lord. We often seem to grow most when we go through difficult times. Suffering strips us of artificial or temporal securities and forces us to dig more deeply into the Word to find peace and purpose. It has been said that “when Christ is all you have, you find that Christ is all you need.”
4. Suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. Christians who live in more affluent parts of the world may find it harder to long for heaven than their impoverished brothers and sisters.
When life is comfortable, eternity is only a glimmer far in the future. But when Christians suffer or deal with persecution, poverty, trials and tribulations’, eternity starts to become the brightest light in their lives. Often, Christians who suffer have an advantage in keeping their priorities straight.
Our ultimate hope is not in this world or in gaining earthly comfort; our hope is in God and in His greater plan. It requires faith to please God as Hebrews 11:6 says - And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Faithful followers of Jesus Christ knows that a lack of suffering is not a reliable indication of His pleasure. Neither is the experience of suffering proof of His displeasure.
The same hope exemplified by the people mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11 is ours, too. Even when we suffer as a direct result of our own poor choices, our suffering is never wasted.
God promises to use even our most heartbreaking pain for good if we will trust Him as he mentions to us in Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Paul, who suffered more than most, wrote in, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 - For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
All of us needs to understand God’s chief purpose for our lives is to be conformed to the image of Christ and yes he has determined in his plan to use suffering for our spiritual development.
If we are going to endure suffering and the trials of life, we need to understand and believe in the other purposes and reasons for suffering as they are related to the chief purpose he has for us in our lives.
That knowledge alone strengthens Christians when they are called to suffer.
Amen
