Suffer for something

 

 There are times in our lives when things don't seem fair.  Suffering in our lives takes all different shapes and none of them seem to be easy.  As Emily and I suffered through years of not being able to have children our hearts were constantly heavy.  I looked alot of places for what the purpose of human suffering might be.  I realize that our trial is nothing in comparison to what many people face on a daily basis.  I also realize that the only place I found any hope was in the Bible. 

   When we suffer we have a choice to make.  We can try to figure out how not to hurt on our own or we can turn to a proven method.  As I researched suffering in books and online, I found that most people turn to material things (money, drugs, alcohol, stuff) to cover up their hurt only giving them a false, temporary sense of relief. Drugs wear off, alcohol leaves your body, and things wear down.  I continued to read about people who turn to "self help" books and self-determination I also began to listen to people's stories.  The more I listened the more it became perfectly clear that people who go through trials and surrender their lives to Jesus just seem happier and more content.  I wondered why I had never realized this before.  In my short existence on this earth, I have never truly doubted the existence of a creator.  I had not, however, put together the fact that people who try to figure life's struggles out on their own always seem to hit a wall in the end. On the other hand people who live for a life focused outwardly many times go to their graves singing the goodness of God smiling and fulfilled.  I recently read 1 Peter 4 which includes the following encouraging words:


Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. (1 Peter 4:12, 13, 16, 19 NLT)

   If we are living our lives sold out to the One who created us, our suffering has a purpose.  Our suffering has a reason.  We are "suffering in a manner that pleases God." If we are living daily to benefit ourselves, our suffering many times becomes a burden that we spend the rest of our lives trying to cover up.  Give it up. 

   We still struggle everyday.  Our future is likely to hold even more, but one key thing our future also holds is hope. God showed Emily and I that regardless of the outcome of our situation, He will make good out of it.  We have hope that whatever happens will be used to show how good God is, not how good we are.  My encouragement to you is that regardless of what you are going through, you can have that same hope.  It doesn't remove struggles and it doesn't remove pain, but it enables our suffering count for something.  He will never fail you (those are His words.)