The Work of Suffering - Part 1: Recognize and Accept Reality
This morning I decided to go to the coffee shop down the street and just spend time listening to worship music on my computer, reading my Bible and prayer journaling. I have used Oswald Chamber’s devotional My Utmost for His Highest for years. It always baffles me how I can read it year after year and still pull something new from it, much like the Word of God. If you have never used this resource I strongly recommend it. In addition, if you are into Christian biographies, I also strongly urge you to read his biography, Abandoned to God.
Today’s devotional was specific to Christian workers, or people who are in the ministry. Read, The Worship of Work, before you read the rest of this post.
As I was reading through I was having the thought that it didn’t really apply to me or my spouse in our current situation. We are currently not involved in ministry and our church attendance has been sporadic. However, as the Holy Spirit so often does, he broke through my dismissive thoughts and slammed me with the idea that right now suffering is our work. Difficulty has become our ministry. With this in mind I want to do a short series on this truth.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
I know I gave some of this information in an email I sent to my subscribers, but just a quick review. On December 25th my mother went home to Jesus. Though this was expected, she was 99, it didn’t make it any less painful. Her funeral was on the 5th of January back in NY state where I grew up. It was a beautiful time of remembering and being with family. My spouse and I journeyed home on the 6th and he was already ill. By Wednesday morning the 7th, my birthday, we both knew we had the flu. At three weeks we were only just beginning to feel back to “normal”. That was January.
February brought the devastating news that the university where my spouse has been employed for 37 years was closing its doors at the end of the semester. This was another blow; another death like loss, for this place had been community for us for so many years. We felt like we lost a dear friend. Even now, when I drive past the beautiful campus my heart just aches, and of course we hurt for all the faculty and staff and students who now have to find new situations.
Image by christian lanctot from Pixabay
Obviously, we have been under a bit of stress. If the death of my mom and the loss of my husband’s job hasn’t been enough, we have been inundated by difficulties. My spouse’s car broke down. A tire on his car had to be replaced. We had water in our basement. We had baby raccoons born in our garage, and then mama and babies decided to bend up the siding of the eaves on one of the dormers on our house. We have both had an assortment of physical issues from digestive trouble, to bladder infections, to throwing my back out, to the normal aches and pains of growing old.
Now my poor husband has another tooth that will need to be worked on next week that is giving him pain and discomfort. We also found out our neighbors are being evicted, which also makes us feel terrible for them. We appreciated them as neighbors and now they have to move into an apartment with a dog and two rambunctious boys. And let’s not begin to talk about the craziness in our country and across the globe. Life is very, very hard, and I know we are not alone in the suffering department. It seems people all over are having trouble upon trouble.
So how do we keep our faith, and our hope when so many shots are being fired in our direction? This is where the work of suffering comes in. The first thing we must do is:
Recognize and Accept Reality. As much as we would like life to be a rose garden, it most certainly isn’t. Jesus gave us the simple, unadulterated truth.
“33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””
The psalmist understood suffering as he often penned his troubles into his poems and songs.
“15 My eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins.
19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many,
And they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.”
Let’s not forget Job, who went through more than one man should endure.
“13 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.””
Whenever, I think I am going through suffering I remember all that Job had and lost. If you read on you discover that Satan was allowed to also take away his health and he was afflicted with boils. I have had boils and they are no laughing matter, and to have them all over your body! Job suffered severely, and we know from chapter one that God allowed it.
This is one thing that stood out to me, not just from chapter one of Job, but from this statement in today’s devotional reading:
“We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything;”
We are not in control. No matter how much we think we are, nor how much we want to be, we are not. Get used to it. Accept it. Lean in to this idea that the only thing I control is myself; my actions, words and reactions to all of life’s difficulties and suffering.
I know accepting our suffering is difficult, and perhaps that is part of the work. We have to accept that our good Father is allowing our circumstances to tumble us about like a tiny boat on a very angry sea. We may feel this is unfair, or just plain mean, but God knows what He’s about, and every single difficult thing that comes into your life has filtered through His gentle and loving hands.
Next week we will continue to explore the work of suffering.