Twelve practical things to do while suffering

This is an ongoing topic that warrants frequent posts on the subject, and anytime I come across a really solid discussion on the matter, it's worth sharing those ideas.  For that reason, I've plagiarized and adapted this list from Ed Welch's blog.  His quotes are in italics, and I take no credit for these ideas.

Ed, If you should happen to read this, thanks... and please don't sue.

~*~

Twelve Practical Things to Do While Suffering

Don’t be surprised when bad things happen (and don't be surprised when they get worse) (1 Pet 4.12)

"We won't be spared the sufferings that the world experiences; we will participate in them -- both for the world’s benefit and our own."

Remember not only that Jesus suffered, but that He also promised those who truly follow Him would experience the same.  That falls under the job description of picking up a cross to follow Him.  This isn't found in the Bible's fine print, but boldly in Christ's testimony to His disciples.

He also didn't instruct us to pray for relief as our first priority.  Instead, through the pen of James, He encouraged endurance and patience that would lead to the perfecting of our faith (1.3).  Endurance and long-suffering aren't character traits that develop through quickly relieved pain: they emerge only as we carry on, relying more completely upon His strength as our personal weakness only increases, revealing more and more how much we need Him.

Suffering is a benefit to us because it conditions our hearts to depend upon Him.  It's a benefit to the world because it enables us to be empathetic and nurtures within us a compassion for those who are perishing -- so that we might reach them with the good news.

Live by faith in order to see the unseen (Heb 2.2)

"Our eyes will tell us that God is far away and silent, but the truth is that he is close—invisible—but close."

Faith, as defined by Hebrews 11, is the substance of things hoped for and unseen.  It is forsaking the need for tangible evidence and trusting without doubt -- with complete certainty.  It's a faith that is confirmed in the person of Christ.  God's nearness is a good and permanent reality (Psa 73.28).  Through the vehicle of faith, He enables us to trust completely in His omnipresence.  Though our eyes might not see Him working, we know that He is.

Learn to distinguish between the pains of persecution, discipline, and human experience (Rom 8.22)

We can lump suffering into one category, but there is a huge difference between suffering for Jesus, suffering because we've done something wrong, and suffering simply because we are human.  The deaths of loved ones, the pain of illness, the aches of old age -- these are all the result of creation groaning for the Lord's return.  They are the degenerative effects of sin upon our world.  Some types of physical pain are the result of sinful choices, certainly: the grief of committing murder and the discomfort of incarceration are direct results of sin, as is the experience of an STD gained from a life of wanton sexuality.  There are real, physical, and emotional consequences for some sins.  However, not all pain arises directly from our mistakes.  Like Jesus told His disciples, a man isn't born blind simply because he or his parents sinned, but so that God's glory can be manifested (John 9.3).  Affliction has everything to do with the fallen nature in our world and the intention of God to glorify Himself through its redemption.

We would be wise to distinguish what suffering persecution feels like as well.  Suffering for Christ does not include denying yourself a lunch at Applebee's so that you can put a little more into the offering plate on Sunday.  However, it might include ruining a promotion for yourself because you were willing to make an ethical decision despite company policy, and then to be vocal about the Biblical reason for doing so.  It might include being willing to speak out against a brother or sister's sinful behavior even if it means losing them as a friend.  American Christians especially are guilty of labeling a personal act of "sacrifice" an experience of suffering for Jesus, but we can't assume that our self-imposed façade of suffering is the result of following Christ.  It is only when our righteousness sparks a negative reaction from our sinful world that our experience falls under the umbrella of persecution.

The point is this.  We will suffer throughout our sojourn on this earth -- for numerous reasons, and there is an appropriate response to each (Jas 5.13).  Furthermore, we will suffer because Christ endured all things and we are following in His footsteps.

Remember that suffering will reveal what is really in your heart (Jas 1.2; Matt 12.34)

"Where do you turn when tested?  Do you turn toward Jesus or turn inward?"

Do we become frustrated when things don't go the way we expected, or do we cast all of our cares upon Him because it is His compassion that revives our souls (1 Pet 5.7)?  The nature of how we respond will reveal the condition of our hearts.  And if we respond with pride or bitterness, then the suffering we are experiencing might ultimately prove to be a vehicle of the Lord's design for change and spiritual growth.

Remember that God is God, I am not (Job 38-42)

"Humility and submission before the King can quiet some of your questions."

God answers Job from out of the whirlwind

As James wrote, wisdom is given to the man who asks in faith (1.5).  If we want to know why God is leading us through the fire or the waves, then we must first be humble enough to acknowledge that He knows best and we do not.

In the example of Job, God's response to the man of righteousness' questions was to elaborate only on the infinite wonders of His work and His character.  He didn't provide answers.  He provided a dissertation on who He is.

He is God, we are not.

To question Him in arrogance is to deny any possibility of genuine understanding.  If we choose instead to remember who He is -- in addition to His unfailing promises to us -- sometimes the questions we want so badly to be answered can become comparatively insignificant.

Confess sin (Heb 12.1, 2)

"Confession always helps you to see the cross of Jesus more clearly.  It is the quickest way to see the persistent and lavish love of God."

Confession and humility go hand-in-hand.  Together, they are the joint acknowledgement of our imperfection and our dependence upon the blood of Christ to make us new.  Suffering is an opportunity to reflect upon our sinfulness -- not necessarily that we have done something to deserve our current predicament, but that we deserve far worse than we have received.  John's first epistle affirms that we have sinned in all ways -- in action, in attitude, and in our very nature -- and yet God promises restoration to the one who humbles himself to the point of confession (1 John 1.9).  Suffering is an opportunity to make right areas of our lives we might not otherwise have considered.

Study the example of the Suffering Servant (Isa 53)

"He has entered into your suffering, and you can enter into his."

Jesus' experience as a human was one of intimate acquaintance with pain, grief, and despair.  He knew the rejection of men as well as the holy wrath of His Father -- wrath He incurred at no fault of His own, but for taking the sins of the world upon His own back.  He knew isolation and hardship, and was tempted as all men are (Heb 4.15).  He endured the cross.  He went to the grave.

Furthermore, He promised the disciples that suffering would pursue them all of their days.  Since the world had hated Him, it would inevitably hate them if they followed in His steps.  When we find ourselves in the midst of suffering, it is a prime opportunity to study the example of Christ -- to appreciate anew the richness of His mercy and the costliness of his sacrifice.  It is through suffering that we can more fully identify with Him.

Develop a consistent prayer life

"Speak honestly and often to the Lord."

Prayer is more often than not a last resort.  It often sits unused at the bottom of the toolbox.  Suffering can help us to make it a priority.  It can also deepen our communication with God.  Instead of the flighty, shallow, and unrealized requests we offer before bedtime and meals, we can pray more earnestly about our condition -- both physical and spiritual.  We can learn to worship him in the desert so that we can continue to praise Him with gratitude when we reach the mountaintop.  Use the time of suffering to grow your dependence upon God through prayer.

Expect to get to know God better while in this wilderness (Phil 3.10-11)

The wilderness is a place designed for transformation.  Sometimes it is necessary to be relieved of the baggage we carry in order to see God more clearly.  By that, I mean sometimes God allows us to lose the things that are most important to us -- jobs, possessions, relationships -- in order to divert our attention from these secondary pursuits to the one of primary importance (Psa 39.11).

God works through weakness.  He reveals Himself to those who recognize their need.  In the wilderness, we grow less dependent upon ourselves and more dependent upon Him.  If we remained in a place of comfort, we would not have the opportunity to learn the type of lessons God teaches when we are at the place of desperate need.

Learn from those who have shared this experience...

"Be moved with compassion as you hear other stories of suffering."

Empathy is developed through suffering.  Mutual pain is emotionally moving because another's circumstances are so similar to our own history.  We pray more earnestly for people who are going through the same thing we once did.  We want to help someone who is struggling to find the path that took us years to find on our own.  Therefore, when we are in that place of weakness, we should understand that we can lean into the wisdom of others who have been where we currently are.  Christians should help each other through the wilderness, because that is true fellowship.

...so that means seek help and be honest

We often want help but are too embarrassed to ask.  Maybe we think people won't understand, or maybe we don't want people to think that we're weak.  Sometimes, we make a halfhearted attempt to open up, but only give a partial truth about what we are truly experiencing.  Other times we just seek out the comforting words we want to hear by complaining to a sympathetic or commiserating friend -- as opposed to getting the advice we need to hear.

If we are wandering into a valley of sin, we should be quick to find accountability and godly counsel in order to find our way out of the snare.  If we are swimming through a sea of emotional pain or spiritual oppression, there is inherent strength in the unity of the Body -- a strength that we cannot access on our own.  The Body of Christ exists to glorify God by helping each other on the road of righteousness.  The edification and accountability Christian fellowship provides are necessary to spiritual living.

If you were suffering from a physical ailment, you would go to a doctor.  Why not seek the same type of help when you are suffering spiritually?

Look ahead (Ps. 84)

"We are on a pilgrimage that ends at the temple of God."

Suffering should provide incentive to develop an eternal perspective.  Like nothing else, it should cause us to exclaim, "Take the world and give me Jesus!"  It is worshipful to yearn for the day when we shall be with Christ, seeing Him face-to-face and savoring the peaceful repose His Kingdom provides.  We certainly aren't home yet, but we can long to be.  Suffering is an opportunity to increase our desire to be with Christ and learn to take joy in anticipation of eternity spent worshipping Him.