We live in the day where some churches are teaching that God’s people do not suffer; it’s called the Prosperity Gospel. No where in the Bible does it say that Christians will not suffer. It’s the opposite. In Matthew 7:23-25 and Luke 6:48-49, Jesus told his followers that when the storms and floods (suffering) of life hit you, you will be able withstand it because our lives on set on Him as our foundation. We will have suffering in this life. Sometimes it’s because of our actions and sometimes we have no clue why we suffer.
We’ll spend this posting dealing what the Bible says about suffering regarding a Christian. Suffering is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives. It is designed to build our trust in Him, but suffering requires the right response if it is to be successful in accomplishing God’s purposes. Suffering forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources. Simply stated, suffering is anything which hurts or irritates. In the design of God, it is also something to make us think. It is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives in a way that would never occur without the trial or irritation.
All suffering is not, for instance, a product of our own foolishness, self-induced misery, or sin. It is true, however, that rarely does suffering not reveal areas of need, weaknesses, and wrong attitudes that need to be removed like dross in the gold refining process (1 Pet. 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”). The reason we suffer can vary. We suffer because we live in a fallen world where sin reigns in the hearts of men. We suffer because of our own foolishness. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-9 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”). We sometimes suffer because it is God’s discipline (Heb. 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son He receives.”). We may suffer persecution because of our faith--especially when we take a stand on biblical issues (2 Tim. 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”).
Since this blog was set up to cause an average Christian to think about what the Bible truly says about subjects we all deal with, I want to conclude with a list of general Bible passages that deal with suffering. This is not a comprehensive list of scriptures on this subject. I put it here to encourage you to begin your own study of what the Bible says about this important subject.
Complaining About Suffering-
Judges 6:13
Job 5:7
Job 6:2, 3
Job 13:15
Job 14:1
Job 23:2-9
Psalms 73:1-16
Ecclesiastes 7:15
Ecclesiastes 8:14
Jeremiah 12:1-4
Jeremiah 15:15-18
Warning that those who serve God will suffer-
John 16:33
2 Corinthians 12:7
2 Timothy 2:3
2 Timothy 3:12
1 Peter 4:12, 13
The positive side of pain and suffering-
Psalm 119:67, 71
Isaiah 53:3-5
John 9:2, 3
2 Corinthians 12:10
Philippians 1:12-14
Hebrews 5: 8, 9
Hebrews 12:5-7, 10, 11
James 1:2-4
1 Peter 1:6, 7
1 Peter 2:21-24
Bad attitude toward pain and suffering-
Job 2:9
Job 3:3
Job 7:7
Good attitude toward pain and suffering-
Daniel 3:16-18
Matthew 26:39
Romans 12:14
Galatians 6:2
Philippians 1:19-26
Philippians 3:13, 14
Promises of help for God’s people in times of suffering-
Deuteronomy 32:10, 11
Psalms 9:9, 10
Psalms 46:1-3
Psalms 147:3
Isaiah 41:10
Lamentations 3:19-26, 33
John 16:33
Romans 6:5
Romans 8:18
Romans 8:28
1 Corinthians 10:13
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Philippians 4:13
Hebrews 4:15, 16
1 Peter 5:7
Good post. I would say that the topic of suffering is much more complex than we can imagine (John Locke wrote some great stuff). Philip Yancy wrote a great book with John Locke laced between the lines. Much care should be taken with Job. His complaints in 3:3 and 7:7 were written in the genre of lament, and God never chastened for the complaint even though he chasetened Job's friends for their responses to Job. I might also put Job on the top of the list for "The Positive Side of Pain and Suffering." Job is the book where God is asserting His worth as an object of worship that is not bought. One of the highest praises of a human having the light come regarding God is recorded by a man with sores all over his body, living outside the city gate, with friends who are adding to his depression. He is penniless and childless; his health is a wreck with no end in sight, and he is ecstatic in his praise. He is Job
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