Suffering Well

“Jesus is most sweet when we are in the middle of our worst hell.”

+Joni Eareckson Tada

Suffering Well: A Theology of Suffering

These words were spoken by Joni Eareckson Tada at a recent conference I attended at, Southern Seminary. She is a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair with no use of her hands and feet. For 50 years she has been in this condition after a diving accident when she was 17 years old. Now her and her husband Ken Tada minister to thousands around the world, particularly disabled adults and children in developing countries. She has travelled to over 40 countries to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and to provide wheelchairs for those in need. Also she is an accomplished artist and has spoken at Billy Graham crusades over the past several years. A modern day hero of the faith, she has used her suffering as a means to inspire people around the world. One such person is me. Through her life she has demonstrated a theology of suffering, a way of believing and living out trust in God’s sovereignty and love. My aim in this post is to both challenge and encourage you in your belief and outworking of personal suffering in your life. My main point is this: Suffer well for Christ. This is God’s command to us in Scripture and Joni is a prime example, a powerful reminder of this truth lived out.

Scripture and Suffering

God’s Word, the Bible, is plentiful with material regarding the role of suffering in the Christian’s life. For the believer, suffering is a means to maturity and stronger faith in and reliance upon Christ. We especially see this in the Psalms as well as the books Romans, Philippians and Hebrews in the New Testament. First, we see the role of suffering in the Psalms. In Psalm 27 the author writes “the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (v. 1). In his distress, he cried out to God his refuge. The writers of the psalms, or songs, were not shy about their suffering. In fact, they were quite honest about what they endured and how they felt about it. Read at first glance, they seem to openly complain and even doubt God. Instead, they engaged God in their pain. This is a model for us today. In our various sufferings we are to cling to Christ and not remain in despair and doubt. The design of pain and suffering in our lives is to make us more like Christ. He endured the different pains and temptations that we face and overcame them. He now lives in heaven to pray for us to the Father and strengthen us in our distress (Hebrews 4:14-16). What a comfort! Furthermore, when we suffer God is not punishing us. In fact it is a sign that he loves us! The book of Hebrews says that God disciplines those he loves (12:5-6). If we are God’s children then he loves us. We can be assured that when we struggle it is not because God is a mean, cruel dictator. Rather, he is a patient, loving Father who is for our good and desires to make us more like His son, Jesus Christ. Paul writes in Romans 8:29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Also, the apostle wrote in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” In his instruction to the churches, he commended them to suffer well for Christ. The end result was resembling Christ in maturity and character. Christ shines most brightly through us when we cling to Him in the darkness of our pain.

An Eternal Mindset

In a healthy theology of suffering, the believer has in mind an eternal mindset. Our present sufferings, no matter what they are, are a drop in the bucket, a grain of sand on the bright shore of eternity. The Bible commands us to suffer well for Christ with an eye on eternity. As C.S. Lewis noted, suffering is a “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Joni Eareckson Tada didn’t let paralyzed limbs set her back, she now runs to the broken with hope from our Savior Jesus Christ. Let’s not waste our pains but use them to comfort others and spread the glory of God to a broken world. Starting with me.

Reflection

How do you view your trials? As punishment from God or as a gift to grow and mature in faith? Suffer well for Christ in light of eternal reward. Christ is honored as you trust in Him to grow and deliver you from pain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.