You are familiar with the word “perfect.” It goes with statements about clothing such as, “that is a perfect fit.” Or about food, “that is a perfect steak.” The word perfect lets us know something is flawless. If something is perfect it fits the requirements. For a car part it is important to get the right one for the car for it to fit the requirements. So now that you have a perfect idea of the word let’s look at the value of suffering in shaping us for a perfect fit.
Recently at Grace Bible Church we looked at Hebrews chapter
5 and these words were found:
7While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers
and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from
death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. 8Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience
from the things he suffered. 9In this way, God
qualified him as a perfect High Priest
Jesus, God’s Son, instead of receiving preferential treatment
and the comforts of His birth-right He suffered. The intended goal was for Jesus to be shaped
and fit perfectly for what He had to do.
One of those areas of responsibility was to be the ongoing High
Priest. Suffering was part of it. Jesus learned by His experience of pain what
living in obedience to God was like on earth.
Have you ever asked God to stop the suffering? Yeah, me too.
It really hasn’t mattered to me what kind of suffering. Physical pain…Lord, please make it stop! Relational pain…Lord, please, I am
suffering. Make it stop. Emotional pain…Lord! Financial pain…Please, Lord, make it
stop! Spiritual pain…Lord, I need You to
make it stop! I have been fairly
consistent in my requests. Make it
stop. But then I come across something
like this in Hebrews referring to the Lord Jesus and I wonder if I was
approaching my suffering properly. Maybe
the suffering was bringing me closer to God.
What if God was shaping me in character and conduct by using suffering
as a chisel and hammer and knocking off the ugly stuff that was keeping me from
being perfectly fit for His purposes?
If I do what God wants it will be painful. Obedience carries with it suffering. Suffering like Jesus endured which prepared
Him for what God the Father had planned is good. And that is so different from the way I as a
human being look at suffering. Suffering
equals bad. Pain is awful. God’s ways are not our ways. If you try to gain the whole world you will
lose your soul. Give up your life and
you get real life. Suffering in
obedience to God brings surprises for us only God can explain.
What about daily ongoing pain? Is that kind of suffering worth
anything? Yes, indeed. If we are listening to God speak to us out of
our pain we will gain a great deal. If
we are instead of being submissive to God, we are submissive to the pain we lose
a great deal in our suffering.
Let’s suppose that I want to relieve my suffering because it
hurts me in some way but the result of that relief leads me away from God and
His best for me ought I to seek the relief?
Many would answer, “Yes, by all means, get your relief.” Jesus, however, suffered that God might
accomplish all that He desired so that greater good could come. To keep the suffering and allow God to do His
work is the best.
Pride is something that afflicts every human being, and it
is hated by God. Suffering has a way of
addressing pride. But we humans often
prefer pride over going God’s way and being shaped by suffering.
Are you ready for some areas that come along?
- Finances are tight and maybe debt is pressing, but there is an awareness of need and dependence on God which can lead to humility rather than pride. Getting finances in order is a good thing and can make one less stressed and in a position to give more if a person can avoid the ego trap.
- Physical image with weight or teeth or whatever the issue seems to be. Suffering with things not being all you would want. Get it fixed and watch out pride. Or for some the desire is to be desirable and they are ready to turn from God’s instructions on relationships and begin to practice immorality.
- Having the appreciation of others is nice. It can become an area of ego rather quickly. Discover ability at sports or at business or at music and suddenly the attention and applause is addictive. Pride moves in and God…well, He can come along if He wants.
- Parents go to a lot of expense and encourage their children to get an education so they can get a good job so they can be successful. If they accomplish it, then what? Have the eternal values been increased? Is there a desire for more of God? Is there more self-satisfaction, self-promotion, self-interests, self becomes the new divinity. The thing that we think would be all good has set up a situation that leads directly from God into the pit of pride which God hates.
You get the idea. As
much as we despise suffering it may be the very thing that teaches us and
shapes us under the mighty hand of God to become the very amazing, noble and
enlightened people He has designed us to be.
Disclaimer: Saying that the idea of suffering has a positive place in the Christian’s life is not to say we shouldn’t relieve suffering where we can. Jesus applied suffering to Himself. He faced suffering with courage. But Jesus also healed the broken. He raised the dead. And He said it was a good thing to care for those who were suffering. The Good Samaritan, Jesus teaches us, did a good thing helping an injured man.
However, I need to get over my pity parties and
self-promotional ideas and realize the value of God’s work in my life which
from time to time includes suffering.
- Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 1 Corinthians 4:10
- For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. Philippians 1:29
- And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 2 Thessalonians 1:5
- 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 4:19
God knows me and knows the very things to add to my life
which will make me more fit for His purposes.
It is His work in me that will get me ready, that will tear my grip off
the world and reveal the treachery in my own heart. He knows exactly what you need as well. Prepare yourself for being perfected! Happy suffering!
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