The Shock of SufferingSample

SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE 

No one escapes suffering. Not even Jesus. People surrounded him to celebrate him but left him when he began to suffer. May I submit to you that Jesus was more powerful in his suffering than during his celebration. If we are like Jesus, then we are more powerful during suffering than we are during celebrations. An anointing comes out when pressure is applied.

I must be honest: I do not want to suffer; I prefer not to suffer. There has never been a morning that I woke up and said, “I hope this is a suffering day.” I have never had a new year come in where I thought, “This is my year to suffer – Hallelujah!” I have not asked for it, but God orders us to go through periods of suffering.

Till now, our country has had the luxury of looking out through the sanctity of our democracy over the waters, with no true empathy, and see the misfortunes of other countries and continents, as they experience plagues and diseases as a regular part of living; never imagining that the viruses would cross the waters and land on our shores. Now we are them, and they are us. We must be careful how we handle people in the moment of their suffering, never treating them in a condescending way. What they are suffering today, we may be suffering tomorrow.

The real test of faith is not during a celebration. The real test of faith comes in suffering. How committed can you be when the storms rage and there is no celebration? How committed can you be while suffering? How faithful will you be in the moment of adversity? While you can appreciate all that God has done for you until now, can you stand tall in suffering and let the devil know that suffering will not stop you from serving God?

We all have had moments where we suffered in silence and in isolation. Everyone has experienced personal moments of great tragedy. But the pandemic has brought fellowship to our suffering. We can all relate to the pangs of this present distress.

This trouble has brought God to where we are. Those who do not know Him get to meet Him in their personal crises. Those of us who know Him know that God will meet us in our crises; He will meet us in the suffering!